Ed Aguilar

Born and raised in Santo Domingo Pueblo. Studied silversmithing at a boarding school in Santa Fe. In the late 1960s, Ed decided to begin making jewelry after watching his uncle “pull silver” into tubular beads to be used for chains. He taught himself the technique, and began making beautiful hand-pulled chains of his very own. Working mostly in sterling silver, but sometimes with 14k gold, Ed made chains in three different sizes. In the larger sizes, he made up to five-strand necklaces. In the delicate smaller sizes, he has made necklaces with up to 50-strands, always paying attention to every little detail. "I cut my beads with a diamond edge saw," says Ed. "If they are even 1/100th of an inch off, I won't use them." Ed made round chains, but came to be known for his signature square chains, or the “Aguilar Chain”. He was one of the few artists to continue the art of hand-pulling silver, and was able to create beautiful pieces for over 40 years, before passing away in 2006.