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Cherokee
Nation citizen Greg Stice hammers a heart to harden it for
it to become a necklace in the Cherokee Copper's Valentine
line. Stice and his family manage and create pieces for Cherokee
Copper out of their Mounds home. (photo by Stacie Guthrie
- Cherokee Phoenix)
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A
bracelet and a copper heart are a few items that are part
of Cherokee Copper's Valentine line. Greg Stice, Cherokee
Copper owner and artist, said he hopes to have Cherokee fine
jewelry on display across the world. (photo by Stacie Guthrie
- Cherokee Phoenix)
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Greg
Stice, Cherokee Copper owner and artist, looks at a finished
necklace at his studio in Mounds. Cherokee Copper creates
anything from cuffs with Oklahoma-shaped outlines to necklaces
with pearls and copper and includes pieces for women and men.
(photo by Stacie Guthrie - Cherokee Phoenix)
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MOUNDS With hopes of getting Cherokee jewelry in fine
jewelry stores worldwide, Greg Stice, owner and artist of Cherokee
Copper, is on his way to doing just that with a key part of his
jewelry consisting of copper and pearls.
"Our goal is to take the Cherokee, our tradition to the world
so
that you can walk into any fine jewelry (store) and you will be
able see Cherokee fine jewelry," he said.
Stice said he takes traditional Cherokee jewelry pieces and
brings them into the 21st century by using modern tools such as
engravers.
"In using that technology, as the engraving machine, is the
way that we can take technology and produce something very unique
and customized and everything is handmade. I mean, printed on the
engraver, but once I pull that off every keychain, every cuff will
be a little bit different because it's (crafted with) my hands,"
he said.
Stice credits his grandmother, Pebble Ross, for his creativity.
"My grandparents were always making things for a large family."
And family still plays a large part as Stice's children and wife
help design, create, test and market the jewelry.
"It's a way that we as Cherokees express our love for our family,
and that's one big thing within Cherokee (culture), it's all about
family. That's how we really got started with Cherokee Copper. It's
a family business. It's a family jewelry company that takes Cherokee
traditions and metals and pearls and gemstones and puts a modern
twist to it," he said. "We all get to do something that we all enjoy
doing because everybody has a special part into making that piece."
Cherokee Copper creates anything from cuffs with Oklahoma-shaped
outlines to necklaces with pearls and copper, and includes pieces
for women and men. Stice said he also has a Heritage Collection
incorporating the Cherokee syllabary.
"One of the nice things about our Heritage Collection is that
we give 5 percent of all profits to Cherokee scholarships. So all
of our heritage stuff is going to create a scholarship for Cherokees
annually," he said.
Stice said he's also promoting a Valentine line with freshwater
pearl and copper heart necklaces, rose quartz necklaces, cuffs and
more. "That is what our Valentine line is, is the expression of
love."
Cherokee Copper also helps with fundraisers by creating custom
pieces for schools or civic organizations. "We can work with them
to create a custom piece," he said.
When a jewelry piece sells, Stice said he enjoys the smiles
it puts on the buyer's face.
"That's what I enjoy is when they
get that jewelry, it's
the smile when they wear it," he said. "It's traditional Cherokee.
It's copper. It's freshwater pearl. It doesn't get any Cherokee
more than that."
Cherokee Copper creates pieces starting at $20 with higher-priced
items typically being custom. Stice said he could create custom
pieces for individuals, clubs or even for mass production in stores.
Cherokee Copper will have a booth set up at the Greater Tulsa
Indian Art Festival on Feb. 9-11 in Glenpool. For more information,
visit www.cherokeecopper.com or search "Cherokee Copper" on Facebook
or email cherokeecopper@gmail.com.
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