Shawn Bluejacket

Born 1962

Loyal Shawnee/Cherokee (Oklahoma) 

Medium: Jewelry

Shawn Bluejacket spent much of her childhood growing up in New Zealand where she was surrounded and heavily influenced by the vibrant Polynesian culture. For a time, her father lived in Libya where antiquities played an important role and this enriched her cultural diversity. In 1993, she attended the Institute of the American Indian, Santa Fe where she chose not to follow in the same footsteps as past American Indian jewelers. She had no interest in silversmithing and turquoise, choosing to develop her style based on her personal and cultural experiences. At IAIA, she studied under well-known artists Duane Maktima and Lane Coulter. 

She is best known for her unique and whimsical jewelry utilizing precious gemstones, various types of tourmaline and silver. Her pieces are not cast but fabricated from 30-gauge precious metals like gold and silver sheets. As a nod to her geologist father, she seeks out the most unique stones for her jewelry, choosing rare and distinctive materials such as South American Druze,  Queensland Yowah nut opal and fossilized ivory. She has recently begun experimenting with the ancient Japanese metalworking technique, “mokuma gane.” Her work can be seen in various galleries and museums and she has won many awards.