Tufa Cast Jewelry

Tufa casting is a popular silversmithing technique in Southwest jewelry. Tufa stone is a compressed volcanic ash material that is found on Navajoland. It is easier to carve than sandstone and its porous surface leaves a unique texture once the metal has cooled. The artist’s design is carved into the flat surface on the inside of the mold. The negative space carved away will be filled with molten silver or gold.

Tufa stone is very fragile and most silversmiths will only get one good cast from each mold. Nearly all tufa cast pieces are one-of-a-kind as the mold will often break after casting.

Learn More: About the Tufa Casting Technique

Note: This collection includes other types of cast jewelry as well. Some jewelry in this collection may be "sandcast" jewelry, which is a cast made from compressed sand.