Chris Charley Biography

Vital Statistics & Name Breakdown

  • Birth Name: Chris Charley.

  • Signature Hallmark: He signs his authentic collaborative and independent works with his stamped initials, CC, accompanied by a STERLING stamp.

  • Lifespan: Born in 1972. Active and living contemporary master.

  • Birthplace: Crownpoint, New Mexico, a historic weaving and silversmithing hub on the Navajo reservation.

Family Tree & Well-Known Relations
Chris was raised completely immersed in the creative traditions of the Diné people:

  • Uncle & Mentor: Raymond King, an award-winning master silversmith. Chris became fascinated with metalwork while watching Raymond craft fine jewelry, learning his foundational tool work directly from him.

  • Brothers: Acclaimed Navajo silversmiths Chester Charley and Lee Charley.

  • Nephew: Master jeweler Matthew Charley.

Active Period & Production

  • Active Decades: From 1990 through the present day (beginning his professional career at age eighteen).

  • Primary Mediums: Thick-gauge sterling silver, natural turquoise, and deep black onyx. He specializes in highly refined earrings, heavy wedding bands, and patterned cuffs

Technical Methods & Innovations

  • Crisp Linear Stamp Work: Chris considers basic, traditional Navajo stamp work to be his favorite and finest skill. His stamped silver pieces are highly praised by curators for being exceptionally crisp, deeply set, and perfectly symmetrical.

  • The "Old Way" Connection: He focuses heavily on ancestral "old way" processing methods, using heavy hammers and hand-filed steel dies to ensure his jewelry remains structurally connected to Navajo cultural history.

  • Cross-Medium Artistry: Demonstrating incredible creative breadth, Chris actively trains in traditional sandpainting and Pueblo-style pottery processing, elements of which subtly inform the geometric layouts of his silver designs.

Signature Motifs & Designs

  • Refined Stamped Earrings: Clean, expressive drops and hoops featuring flawless geometric border stamps.

  • Scalloped Silver Bands: Substantial rings featuring repetitive, deeply struck cloud, rain, and feather stamps framing central turquoise ovals.

  • Geometric Shadowboxes: Cleanly cut rectangular and square pendants utilizing dark background oxidation to contrast bright silver borders