Silver & Gold

Medicine Man Gallery owner Mark Sublette unveils his own jewelry line inspired by the Southwest.

Mark Sublette is a man of many talents: doctor, gallery owner, author, podcast host, YouTube personality, art expert and historian. Now add another one—jewelry designer.

Sublette has teamed up with third-generation jewelry artist Sam Patania to create his own line of Southwest-inspired jewelry. The works—now available at Medicine Man Gallery in Tucson, Arizona, and on his website—prominently feature silver and gold, as well as exceptional stones, including turquoise. The pieces are certainly inspired by Native American jewelry, but also call out to Sublette’s own history and interests, including a simple chevron design element that can be seen in many of the pieces, including in the Medicine Man Gallery logo.Necklace with gem-grade Kingman turquoise, 22k gold bezels, 18k gold emblem, sterling silver back on an 18k gold and silver chain

“For me it all came down to these strong Southwestern design elements,” says Sublette. “And also the materials. Everything is top quality, including the stones. These pieces have to speak to the Southwest, and I think that we’ve accomplished that here.”

Patania, who is also based in Tucson, comes to this story with his own fascinating history. His grandfather, Frank Patania Sr., started the Thunderbird Shop in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1927. The influential jewelry shop was a cultural destination, and visited by numerous artists, authors, poets and thinkers of the time. Later, Sam’s father, Frank Patania Jr., started creating jewelry and also made a name for himself. Today, works by all three Patania jewelers are in the Smithsonian collection. Left: Necklace with Bisbee turquoise and spiny oyster, 22k gold bezel, 18k gold emblem, 18k gold bale, sterling silver back; Right: Pendant with high-grade coral, 18k gold and brilliant-cut diamond

The jewelry line, released around Thanksgiving, includes a variety of work for collectors of all kinds, from one-of-a-kind pieces with high-grade stones to more affordable pieces that will appeal to collectors just getting into Southwestern jewelry.

For more information visit www.medicinemangallery.com. —