We are honored to present a private collection of works by Jesse Monongya — an exceptional offering from one of the most important Native American jewelers of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.
Monongya’s jewelry is highly sought after for its technical mastery, spiritual depth, and unmistakable visual identity. Each piece reflects an extraordinary level of craftsmanship, with meticulously cut stones fitted together in seamless compositions that transform precious materials into narrative works of art.
His fascination with the night sky, shaped by his Navajo upbringing at Two Grey Hills, gives his work a sense of vastness and wonder rarely seen in jewelry. Whether depicting celestial landscapes, symbolic figures, or abstract color harmonies, Monongya’s creations carry both cultural meaning and timeless artistic presence.
Collections of this scale and quality rarely become available. For collectors of significant Native American jewelry, this offering represents a unique opportunity to acquire works by an artist whose reputation continues to grow in both museum and private collecting circles.
J esse M onongya ( b . 1952 – d . 2024)
Jesse Monongya was a master Navajo/Hopi jeweler celebrated for his extraordinary stone-tostone inlay and visionary depictions of the cosmos, landscape, and spirit world. Widely regarded as one of the most innovative Native American jewelers of his generation, Monongya created works that bridge traditional teachings with a deeply personal artistic language rooted in the natural and celestial worlds.
Born the son of renowned Hopi jeweler Preston Monongye, Jesse was raised by his Navajo grandmother in a hogan near Two Grey Hills, New Mexico. As a child, he spent countless nights beneath the vast desert sky, listening to stories of the constellations and learning the Navajo teachings of discipline, balance, and beauty. These early experiences formed the spiritual and visual foundation of his art, inspiring the star-filled skies, cosmic imagery, and symbolic landscapes that became hallmarks of his work.
Monongya did not begin making jewelry until adulthood, after a powerful dream in which his mother presented him with tools and foretold his future as an artist. Soon after, he met his father for the first time at age twenty-one and apprenticed with him for four years, mastering technical precision before establishing his own studio and distinctive voice.
Working primarily in 18-karat gold and utilizing stones such as lapis lazuli, turquoise, coral, and a wide spectrum of natural materials, Monongya became known for exceptionally precise, intricate inlay. His designs range from celestial landscapes and star-filled night skies to bears, yei figures, and richly colored abstract compositions, each piece reflecting both Navajo worldview and personal imagination.
His work is included in major museum collections across the United States, including the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, the Heard Museum, the Denver Art Museum, the U.S. Department of the Interior Museum, the Northern Arizona Museum, the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and others.
Jesse Monongya’s legacy endures through his groundbreaking artistry, his influence on contemporary Native jewelry, and the many collectors who treasure his work.
Celestial Spirit Bear Cuff Bracelet
An inlaid cuff bracelet centered with a sculptural 18K yellow gold Spirit Bear accented with diamond and celestial details. The tapered band is finely executed in turquoise, lapis, coral, mother-of-pearl, and other natural stone inlay, arranged in a precise geometric composition characteristic of Jesse Monongya’s cosmic design vocabulary. A strong and collectible example combining sculptural goldwork with masterful lapidary inlay.
Dragonfly Squash Blossom Reversible Necklace
Squash blossom necklace composed of coral and lapis beads with gold dragonfly blossom elements, centered by a reversible inlaid pendant depicting a sunset scene on one side and Lander Blue turquoise in the other. The reversible naja likewise features complementary inlay, exemplifying Monongya’s signature use of symbolic imagery and finely executed stonework.
Dragonfly Earrings
Pair of 18K yellow gold drop earrings with stylized dragonfly forms, inlaid in Acoma jet, Sleeping Beauty turquoise, lapis, and coral; executed in the maker’s characteristic geometric inlay style.
Lapis Ladder Spinning Cuff Bracelet
Cuff bracelet set with Sleeping Beauty turquoise, Mediterranean coral, and lapis inlay, accented by approximately 1.45 carats of white, irradiated green, and yellow diamonds. The textured band is further detailed with handstamped terrace cloud (ladder) motifs and a rotating center bead inlaid with lapis on one side and diamonds on the other, reflecting Monongya’s characteristic combination of symbolic design and refined stonework.
Pictorial Star Ring
Ring in 18kt Yellow Gold with oval pictorial inlay panel set in lapis, coral, sugilite, gaspeite, and opal, accented by yellow and green diamonds. The architectural mount and finely executed micro-inlay reflect Monongya’s characteristic precision and complex stone composition.
Spider Web Diamond Ring
18K yellow gold ring set with a bezel-set white diamond weighing approximately 0.72 carats (G color, VS2 clarity), accented by burnish-set white diamonds totaling approximately 0.10 carats and black diamonds totaling approximately 0.03 carats, forming a spider and web detail. The band is richly inlaid with lapis, gaspeite, dolomite, Sleeping Beauty turquoise, Mediterranean coral, golden lip mother-of-pearl, sugilite, and opal, demonstrating a complex and highly refined use of color and stone composition.
Shooting Star Ring
18K yellow gold ring with square night-sky inlay panel composed of lapis, opal, coral, turquoise, sugilite, and gaspeite, accented by pavé-set diamonds along the shoulders. Executed in Monongya’s characteristic style, combining precise micro-inlay with a bold geometric composition.
Sparkling Star Bear Cuff Bracelet
Cuff bracelet with geometric sunset inlay composed of coral, lapis, opal, turquoise, and other natural stones, centered by a sculptural gold bear element. The piece reflects Monongya’s distinctive use of cosmic color, symbolic form, and finely controlled stone inlay.
Spirit Bear Cuff Bracelet
18K gold cuff bracelet with sunset inlay extending along both sides, composed of coral, opal, gaspeite, lapis, sugilite, and Sleeping Beauty turquoise, accented with white and green diamonds. Centered by a sculptural gold bear element, the bracelet highlights a bold use of color and finely controlled stone inlay characteristic of Monongya’s work.
Spirit Bear Ring
18K gold ring with sunset inlay panels to each side, composed of coral, opal, gaspeite, lapis, sugilite, Sleeping Beauty turquoise, and accented with white diamonds.
Surmounted by a sculptural gold bear, the design pairs strong architectural form with richly detailed inlay and gemstone accents.
Sunface Ring
18K gold ring with rectangular pictorial inlay depicting a Sun Face under a night sky, set in lapis, coral, turquoise, sugilite, and gaspeite, with pavé diamondset shank. A bold graphic example of Monongya’s celestial and symbolic imagery.
