Hopi Pueblo Sterling Silver Overlay Tie Tack

ca. 1970 - 1980

.5" H x .5" D

Hand Crafted from Sterling Silver with Geometric Design and a Sterling Silver Chain with Bar

Excellent Condition

A Hopi Pueblo sterling silver overlay tie tack (also called a tie clip or tie pin) is a small, elegant men's accessory featuring this overlay style. It's typically ½–1 inch in size, weighs 3–6 grams, and fastens to a tie with a simple pin or alligator clip mechanism. These pieces are handmade, often by members of the Hopi Arts and Crafts Silvercraft Cooperative Guild (founded in 1949 on Second Mesa), and are prized for their fine craftsmanship and cultural significance.

The Hopi Pueblo, one of the oldest Native American communities in the Southwestern United States (primarily located in northeastern Arizona), is renowned for its distinctive jewelry-making traditions. Hopi silversmiths specialize in the overlay technique, a method developed in the late 1930s and 1940s that creates intricate, symbolic designs with depth and contrast.

Hopi overlay in jewelry is a distinctive metalworking technique developed by artisans of the Hopi people. Instead of weaving fibers, jewelers work with two layers of sterling silver: a top sheet is hand-cut with intricate, symbolic designs, then soldered onto a solid bottom sheet. The recessed areas are oxidized (darkened) to create contrast, while the raised surface is polished to a bright finish, producing a bold, graphic look.

The designs are typically deeply meaningful rather than purely decorative, often representing elements from Hopi culture and spirituality—such as rain clouds, migration patterns, animal tracks, or figures like the Kokopelli. Unlike stamped or cast jewelry, each overlay piece is individually cut by hand, giving it a crisp, clean-lined quality and a sense of depth. This technique became especially prominent in the mid-20th century and remains a hallmark of authentic Hopi jewelry, valued for both its craftsmanship and cultural significance.