Augustine and Rosalie Pinto were the last of the great Zuni Silversmiths who worked by hand without the use of electricity. They specialized in Mosaic Inlay... a style created in Zuni by Teddy Weahkee . Mosaic Inlay is much like a puzzle, inlaying one piece against another without using silver channels for support. As a result Mosaic Inlay is light weight and fragile. Augustine and Rosalie Pinto began producing jewelry in 1950's and worked into the 1970's. They used very fine files to shape and hand fit each piece. Like most Southwest Native American Jewelry the gemstones they used were mainly turquoise and coral. You will often see in Zuni Jewelry the use of Mother of Pearl and Gold Mother of Pearl. Bev Etsate was their daughter. She uses their designs but works with high speed electric grinders instead of hand tools. Generally speaking, I find Bev Etsate jewelry not as precise as that of her parents nor as well formed or fitted. Whether that is a result of her use of electric powered tools, her technique or the result of dealers in Zuni cutting wholesale prices to the point where artists can not afford to spend the time to properly finish their work... I couldn't say.
