Gifts From the Heart: Valentine's Day at Sorrel Sky Gallery

The language of love isn't always spoken. Sometimes it's wrapped in gold and sapphires, turquoise and silver, captured on film, or hand-carved from precious materials. This Valentine's Day, Sorrel Sky Gallery presents a collection of gifts that translate affection into something tangible, pieces that carry meaning beyond their beauty.

For over eighty years, Ben Nighthorse created jewelry that fused Japanese metalworking techniques with Native American design philosophy. His heart-themed pieces transform the universal symbol of love into wearable art that honors both tradition and craft.

The Multi Hearts Bracelet (above) features a delicate pattern of hearts in sterling silver, a design that pairs effortlessly with Nighthorse's pendant and earring collections. Each piece bears the marks of individual craftsmanship, the slight variations that prove human hands shaped the metal.

The Heart Edge Inlay Pendant showcases Nighthorse's signature edged inlay technique. Rosarita and fire opal create a dramatic contrast against sterling silver in a pendant that measures 2.5 inches tall. 

Additional Nighthorse heart pieces include the Morning Star and Heart Pendant, the Swaying Heart Necklace, and Inlay Heart Earrings, each demonstrating his mastery of form and metalwork.

Artie Yellowhorse brings bold color and traditional Navajo techniques to his heart-themed jewelry. His work celebrates the natural materials of the Southwest, from Kingman turquoise to purple spiny oyster shell.

The Kingman Turquoise Heart Cuff Braceletfeatures the distinctive blue-green stone from Arizona's historic Kingman mine, set in sterling silver. The 3/4-inch width creates a substantial presence on the wrist without overwhelming it.

For those seeking vibrant contrast, the Purple Spiny Oyster Heart Cuff Bracelet showcases the rare purple variety of this shell, prized for its deep color and relative scarcity. The one-inch width provides canvas for Yellowhorse's silverwork.

The Small Kingman Heart Ring offers an accessible entry point into Yellowhorse's work. The half-inch stone creates a focal point that works for both everyday wear and special occasions.

Lebanese American designer Nayla Shami creates jewelry that feels both ancient and contemporary. Her Cross Locket Necklace represents the pinnacle of her craft. Crafted in 18-karat gold with sapphires and champagne diamonds, the cross opens to reveal a gold heart charm inside. The flower motif overlay features black rhodium plating, adding depth and contrast to the piece. Her Bird Holding a Heart Necklace features champagne diamonds.

This is jewelry as heirloom, the kind of piece that carries stories across generations.

Of Rare Origin brings fairytale romance to wearable art. Each piece is hand-carved and handmade in Italy, transforming natural materials into intricate designs that reward close examination.

The Inseparable Necklace captures the essence of enduring love. Two birds perch together on a natural pearl, crafted from natural pearl, 9-karat gold, red sapphire, and 18-karat yellow gold vermeil. The piece comes with clasp closures at both 15 and 18 inches, allowing versatility in how it's worn.

The Inseparables Earrings feature two birds nestled together on a gilded perch, surrounded by a trellis of flowers and pearls. Hand-carved from natural tagua, mother-of-pearl, pearl, diamond, and 18-karat yellow gold vermeil, these statement earrings measure approximately 3.5 centimeters long. They're available with both standard post backs for pierced ears and clip backs for those without piercings.

Maria Goler Baca carries three generations of artistic heritage into her distinctive jewelry. The Red Car Heart Pendant combines her signature sterling silver Car Heart form with labradorite and antique spoon overlay, creating a piece that feels simultaneously vintage and modern. The pendant measures 1 1/4 by 1 1/2 inches, substantial enough to make a statement while remaining wearable.

Doug Magnus stands at the end of a thousand-year lineage. As he puts it, countless craftsmen have worked Cerrillos turquoise from Turquoise Hill for a millennium, and he is the last of that long line. This connection runs deeper than metaphor. Magnus owns three of the fabled Cerrillos mines near Santa Fe that have produced some of the most historically significant turquoise found in the United States.

His jewelry bridges past and present, combining contemporary references, Latin motifs, and ancient cosmic symbols. Mostly self-taught, Magnus mastered metalworking and lapidary gemstone cutting through his own determination, with early visits to the ancient turquoise mines proving instrumental in learning the art of stone cutting. Today, his interest in the mines extends beyond the gemstones themselves. He maintains them for historical, archaeological, and mineralogical study, preserving access to sites that have shaped Southwestern art for centuries.

The Valentine's Day collection showcases his museum-quality work using 18-karat gold and the rare McNulty turquoise, a distinctive form of Cerrillos turquoise prized for its intense, clear blue beauty.

The Dali Amour Sun Heart Pendant with McNulty Turquoise combines the rare stone with 18-karat gold in a two-inch pendant that comes with its chain. The design references surrealist aesthetics while remaining rooted in Southwest traditions, a piece that becomes more compelling with contemplation.

For those seeking Magnus's work at different price points, the collection includes the Dali Heart Pendant in 18-karat gold and sterling silver, and the SFNM Heart with McNulty Turquoise Earrings  in 14-karat gold. The Forever Pendant  represents Magnus at his most ambitious, combining 18-karat gold with raw, primal diamonds in a 2.5-by-1.5-inch statement piece.

His work carries the weight of history without being bound by it. Each piece connects to the same turquoise sources that ancient peoples worked, transformed through techniques Magnus developed himself into jewelry that feels both timeless and entirely contemporary.

For those seeking art that captures romance itself, David Yarrow's "A Room with a View" offers cinematic drama. Shot in Atrani, Italy, the photograph features supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio on a balcony overlooking the village, with a constructed lemon grove adding the region's signature touch. The community of Atrani made the image possible, from the mayor to the lemon gardener, embodying the warmth that makes the Amalfi Coast legendary.

Available in both black-and-white and color, with editions in Standard (37 by 59 inches unframed), Large (56 by 89 inches unframed), and Artist Proof (19 x 30 inches unframed) sizes, the photograph transforms any space into a window onto one of the world's most romantic locations.

Valentine's Day asks us to translate feeling into form. These pieces offer answers. Whether choosing jewelry to be worn daily or photography to transform a room, each selection represents more than an exchange of gifts. They're invitations into craftsmanship, heritage, and the belief that beauty matters.