Dina Huntinghorse · Wichita
Gold Bear & Rug Pattern Overlay Bracelet
This overlay bear bracelet by Dina Huntinghorse combines a bold rug pattern design in sterling silver with a bear accent overlaid in 14k gold. The geometric pattern runs across the cuff like a woven textile, while the warm gold bear stands out against the cool silver. At 1¼ inches wide, the bracelet makes a strong statement on the wrist.
Metal — Sterling silver with 14k gold overlay
Design — Rug pattern with 14k gold bear accent
Size — 5½ in. inside
Opening — 1 in.
Width — 1¼ in.
An Overlay Bear Bracelet with a Weaver’s Pattern
The rug pattern design draws on the geometric patterns of Navajo weaving: stepped lines, bands, and repeating blocks of shape. Dina translates that textile language into metal using overlay. First, she cuts the design from a top sheet of silver. Then she solders it onto a base layer and darkens the recessed areas, so the pattern reads crisply in light and shadow.
Against that pattern, the 14k gold bear on this overlay bear bracelet brings warmth and focus. Because gold and silver sit side by side, the bracelet shows a contrast that a single metal can’t give. In addition, the wide cuff gives the design room to breathe, so the pattern and the bear each hold their own.
Dina Huntinghorse and Herbert Taylor
Dina Huntinghorse is a citizen of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes of Oklahoma. She learned silversmithing from her late husband, the Navajo jeweler Herbert Taylor, who taught her inlay, lapidary, and overlay. Herbert became known for his work in silver and gold, including 14k gold bear accents, before his death in 1996.
Since then, Dina has developed her own voice, often drawing on the animals and landscapes of the Great Plains. Her work has won awards at the Santa Fe Indian Market and the Heard Museum. In short, this overlay bear bracelet carries forward the techniques she learned from Herbert, shaped by her own eye.
