Hello! Pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Sami Rahman, and I am a junior at Temple University, studying journalism, who has developed an interest in fashion and jewelry that I would say has been slowly growing since I was young.

Like my mom, I fell in love with Southwestern and Native American jewelry years before I was ever able to visit New Mexico. Studying anthropology in school, I took as many classes in Native American culture and art as I could, and spent countless hours reading about the legacies of craftsmanship passed down and honed over generations.

For many years, I had been collecting Native American jewelry and accessories from antique shops and stores near to my home, but it wasn’t until I finally visited the Southwest for the first time in 2010 that I realized that treasure hunting directly from the source would be the most rewarding. Santa Fe, with its plethora of street vendors, galleries and stores, ranging from consignment shops to custom boutiques, and hosting traditional and contemporary artisans, is the most fertile hunting ground I’ve found for one of my greatest passions- the style of the American Southwest.

What keeps us coming back to Santa Fe year after year? The landscape, the shopping, the cuisine, the culture and, of course, our wonderful friends. But what keeps us returning every August– despite the often punishing heat of the desert in summer? Indian Market, an annual event hosted by the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA), featuring a vast array of offerings from the Native American artists and artisans who mecca to the Plaza each year to take part in the summer gathering.

Far and away, the high point of my 2014 Indian Market experience was my discovery of The Cape, a textile so spectacular, it requires capitalization.

As my mom was visiting the booth of Sheldon Harvey, a Navajo painter and sculptor, I wandered off on my own to peruse the offerings at nearby stalls. From across the street, I spotted a black garment hanging in the back of a shaded tent. Upon closer inspection, I saw that it was a black feathered cape that looked like something from Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan.

To all of our fellow gem enthusiasts, welcome and happy new year! In the spirit of new year’s resolutions and fresh starts, we are greeting 2015 with the launch of our much discussed passion project, Gem Whisperer.