Necklace Featuring Antique Ethiopian Cross

All silver components, beginning with the centerpiece cross, are hand made.  The antique cruciform was cut from a silver Maria Theresa trade dollar. 

After being filed to remove unwanted surface details, a hardened iron point was used to incise design details which have all but completely worn away.  The loupe bail is also made of the same material and soldered to the pendant.  Sterling silver sheet and wire, mill rolled and drawn from ingot, were used to fabricate open work beads and caps made in Northeast Africa. 

Small, 1 mm beads of coin metal, woven into the back end lengths of this neckpiece are Ethiopian.  Shaved edges of coins are drawn into wire shaped by winding around a fine steel rod.  Much the way links are made, these coils are cut, separated and the ends of each tiny "bead" are hammer fused together.

Originally from Flint, Michigan, ne Kateri Marie Dufault, Mrs. Weiss earned scholarships to attend Interlochen Center for the Arts and the University of Ann Arbor. She has been cutting turquoise garnered from a large number of different mines since 1972, and is entirely aware of its unique qualities. A professional sculptor, painter and designer, she has a background in engineering and architectural design to include drafting on a contract basis for fine jewelers as well as architectural offices. This highly capable woman is also a recognized expert in verifying the authenticity of Zuni fetish carvings including artists such as Leekya Deyuse and his Zuni peers.