• Materials: Yellow Gold
• Artists: Gary Olver
• Totem Symbols: Hummingbird
• Gemstones: Pearl, Pipestone (Catlinite)
• Styles: Canadian First Nations, Gemstone Jewelry
• Categories: Earrings

Hummingbird

Joyful messengers who represent peace, affection, and good fortune. The Hummingbird is a living rainbow that captures the sunlight and turns it into a jewel on its wings, signifying love, beauty and healing. This tiny bird is also called "Sah Sen" and is considered good luck, especially if seen before a major event.

Pipestone (Catlinite)

Pipestone is a type of argillite traditionally used as a stone for making peace pipes, prayer items, and totems. Pipestone is an excellent stone for meditation and can bring us deep inner peace. It helps to realize that the spiritual and physical are interconnected and that prayer and ritual can be incorporated into everyday life. We can see that everything is sacred and no one can be set apart from everything else.

Pearl

Pearls represent wisdom gained through experience, and we still refer to precious advice as “pearls of wisdom”. It is associated with the ocean and moon, giving the wearer a sense of calm and serenity. It brings tranquility, and confidence reminding the wearer that “this too shall pass”. The purity of pearls has also been associated with good fortune, humility, abundance, chastity, love and innocence.

Gary Olver

Originally from Northern Manitoba and of Cree descent, Gary Olver moved to British Columbia in 1975 and, inspired by Northwest Coast art, he learned to carve argillite and studied with established Artist Tom Eneas. Gary developed a unique and personal approach to argillite carving, and is now one of the best miniature carvers on the Northwest Coast. Before his artistic career, Olver worked as a professional actor in films and television series, such as X-Files and Highlander. His acting career came to a halt during a tragic accident in which some of his speech was lost. During this time he began to carve to help his dexterity and with time he developed a keen interest in making art. Catlinite, also known as “pipe stone,” is traditionally carved by the Cree and was traded with people living on the Northwest Coast. Gary incorporates this stone into his argillite work to acknowledge his roots, as well as to expand his design possibilities. He has also had his works cast in silver and gold to make exquisite jewelry pieces.