I've really been thinking about the "cowgirl cool" thing a lot this fall.  I love the traditional Native American jewelry with turquoise, coral, and silver.  And I've noticed over the last several years that there are silversmiths who are using other stones as well.  The thing is, as much as I love that style, I'm not Native American.  I can be inspired by it, and I own a few pieces and will probably buy more, but I don't want to copy it.  I want to be inspired by it and to use some of the wonderful ideas I've seen as a jumping-off point to do my own thing.

And so I was thinking about a beautiful pair of silver, turquoise, and shell earrings when I made these from unakite and sterling.

p.s.  This is another of Nancy Damron's photos--I'll figure out pretty soon how to add a link to her website.