Navajo jewelry artist Alvin Monte works in both gold and silver, often making his own stamping tools to create one-of-a-kind designs. Born in Socorro, Monte grew up in Canoncito, New Mexico. Both his parents were well-known silversmiths but Monte didn’t pick up the trade until he moved away from home. He is a self-taught silversmith. His inspirations often come from petroglyphs or pueblo designs although the execution of his designs is more symbolic than realistic. The result is a more modern verses traditional design that he likes to embellish with various stones including amethysts and garnets for a lustrous effect. Monte is now teaching his young son, who at age nine shows a talent for silver-smithing, thus elevating another generation of the Montes into the artist world.
