Yazzie Jr., Ben

Ben Yazzie Jr. - Silversmith: Ben Yazzie Jr. comes from a very large family of craftsmen hailing from Immanuel Mission at Sweetwater, Arizona. Ben, one of 28 children, has numerous sisters, brothers, cousins and in-laws who are also a part of the Twin Rock’s family of artisans. He learned his craft from his grandfather who told him that silversmithing was a, “good thing to do.”

Beginning in 1972, he worked as a professional shopsmith in Cortez, Colorado, where he learned the basics of repair, alterations and construction for a wide variety of silver and gold items. A few years ago, Ben started bringing in his trademark sterling silver horned toads to Twin Rocks Trading Post. Originally constructing bolo ties with the small reptile the Navajos refer to as their ‘grandfather,’ Ben has expanded his selection of horned toads to include pins, pendants, rings, belt buckles and nearly anything else people request. Each piece is meticulously cut out, stamped and soldered into a unique character. He also creates beautiful examples of earrings, necklaces and bracelets.

Ben works closely with his talented wife, Katie, who does the lapidary work on his pieces. Born in Tuba City, Katie specializes in channel inlay and other detailed jeweler skills. Together, Ben and Katie have five children and several grandchildren.

Katie also owns and operates a modeling agency and is a licensed mortician. They have both appeared as actors or extras in numerous film and TV productions. Ben can be seen in featured roles in “Comanche Moon,” “Grace” and “Into the West.”