There are certain places where turquoise just seems to belong.
You see a great piece of turquoise in New York or Chicago, and it stands out. You see that same stone in Santa Fe, set in silver and sitting under that big New Mexico sky, and somehow it feels like it found its way home.
Santa Fe and turquoise have been connected for a long, long time.
Long before any of us were selling jewelry around the Plaza, this was a place where people came together. Native people from the surrounding pueblos and communities traded here. Cultures met here. Goods changed hands, but so did stories, ideas, techniques and relationships.
That part hasn’t changed as much as you might think.
Walk around the Santa Fe Plaza today and you’ll still find Native artists selling their work beneath the portal of the Palace of the Governors. You’ll see silver laid out beside turquoise, pottery, beadwork and other handmade pieces. More importantly, you’ll see people stopping to talk.
That’s always been the important part of the trade.
A Stone With a Long Memory
Turquoise has been part of the Southwest for thousands of years.
Long before Santa Fe became Santa Fe, Native peoples throughout this region were mining, trading and working turquoise. Over generations, those stones traveled remarkable distances through trade.
By the time silverwork became an important part of Southwestern Native jewelry traditions, turquoise had already been here for centuries.
Put the two together and something remarkable happened.
Silver gave turquoise a new frame.
Turquoise gave silver a color that looked like it had been pulled straight out of the Southwest itself—the blue of the sky, the green hidden in the desert, and all those shades in between that make every good stone a little different from the next.
And Native silversmiths made the combination their own.
Over time, styles changed. Techniques developed. Artists learned from parents, grandparents, neighbors and other craftsmen. Some stayed close to traditional forms. Others pushed them in entirely new directions.
That evolution is still happening.
That’s one of the things I’ve always loved about this business.
We’re dealing in tradition, but tradition isn’t frozen.
It’s alive.
Sunwest on the Plaza 56-58 Lincoln Ave. Santa Fe, NM 87501
The Plaza
If you want to understand the relationship between Santa Fe and Native American jewelry, spend some time walking the Plaza.
Don’t hurry.
Look at the jewelry.
Look at the architecture.
Look at the people.
For centuries, the Plaza has been the heart of Santa Fe – a place where cultures met, ideas were exchanged, and commerce flourished. The nearby ancient Palace of the Governors stands as a reminder of that long history, overlooking a square that has witnessed generations of traders, travelers, artists, and families passing through.
That history is part of what makes Santa Fe different.
The Plaza isn’t simply a destination.
It’s a place where the story of the Southwest continues to unfold.
Becoming Part of the Plaza
Commerce has always been part of the story of the Santa Fe Plaza.
For generations, people have come here to gather, trade, discover, and connect. Goods moved through the Plaza, but so did stories, traditions, techniques, and relationships. That exchange helped shape Santa Fe into the cultural crossroads it remains today.
When Sunwest opened its doors on the Plaza, it became part of that continuing tradition.
For us, that means more than simply having a storefront in one of New Mexico’s most recognizable destinations. It means participating in a place where commerce has long been intertwined with culture, craftsmanship, and human connection.
Sunwest on the Plaza carries that spirit forward by bringing together Native American jewelry, American turquoise, art, gifts, and objects that reflect the character of the Southwest.
The setting matters.
To do business on the Santa Fe Plaza is to become part of a much larger story – one built over generations by the people who have gathered there, created there, traded there, and the visitors who carried a little piece of Santa Fe home with them.
More Than a Jewelry Store
If you’ve been into Sunwest on the Plaza, you know it’s a little different.
There is plenty of jewelry, of course.
You’ll find Native American handmade jewelry, turquoise and silver, pottery and artwork from some tremendous artists.
But you’ll also find the fun stuff.
New Mexico gifts. Curios. Folk art. T-shirts. Hats. Toys. Things for the kids. Things that make you laugh. Things you didn’t know you needed until you saw them sitting on a shelf.
That’s intentional.
Because Santa Fe isn’t one thing either.
It’s serious art and silly souvenirs.
It’s centuries-old adobe and somebody walking around the corner carrying a shopping bag.
It’s collectors coming into town looking for an important piece of jewelry and a kid looking for something they can take home to remember New Mexico.
There ought to be room for all of them.
A City That Celebrates Art
There is something special about Santa Fe. That’s why it is called “The City Different”.
Throughout the year, artists, collectors, travelers, and families find their way here from around the world. They come to experience the galleries, museums, architecture, music, food, and, of course, the remarkable Native American art that is foundational to the city’s identity.
Every season brings new faces and familiar friends.
Some visitors arrive searching for a significant piece of turquoise jewelry to add to a collection. Others simply fall in love with a handcrafted bracelet or pair of earrings that reminds them of their time in New Mexico.
No matter what brings people here, Santa Fe has a way of slowing you down and inviting you to appreciate the craftsmanship, history, and culture that surround you.
