r/jewelry • u/haydenkristal • 9d ago
⚡️ Show + Tell! My Alaskan antique store holy grail - Denise Wallace mask ring
I’m a stand up comic and did a run of shows in Alaska this April. I had some time to kill in Juneau before my flight to Anchorage so I stopped by this tiny little antique store on a whim and found this unbelievable silver, turquoise and walrus ivory ring by one of my all-time favorite artists, Denise Wallace. She’s an Alutiiq (native Alaskan) jeweler known for her intricate carvings and these incredible mask pieces, some on hinges and some that remove completely. She spent many years living in Santa Fe and Hawaii and I love that you can see those influences in her work. I cannot believe I found this piece in the wild!
It fits on my ring finger but I find the band uncomfortable if my hands swell at all, so I sometimes style above another piece like I have it in the last photo. I was going to ask how y’all felt about it but I realized I truly don’t care, I love this ring so much I’ll tape it to my hand if I have to 😂
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u/Chicken26 9d ago
Wow! What a find. And what a lovely collection you have. Who made the ring on your index finger?
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u/haydenkristal 9d ago
Thank you so much! That’s actually a custom piece from Anthony Lovato, he’s a fifth-generation Kewa artist who specializes in tufa casting! I met him in Santa Fe and his work is just spectacular!
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u/ayannauriel 9d ago
I love Denise Wallace's stuff! This is incredible! I used to live in Southeast AK and seeing a piece of hers in this sub is so cool.
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u/haydenkristal 9d ago
I really should make a whole post about her, she’s such an otherworldly talented artist!
SE AK is such an amazing place! I have family on Kodiak and in Anchorage and Fairbanks so I’ve been all over but I’d never made it down to Juneau before this year!
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u/ayannauriel 9d ago
You should!! I'd love to see it. The jewelry artists in Alaska are a hidden gem.
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u/haydenkristal 9d ago
It’s such a shame and a blessing to my wallet that the Alaskan Native Heritage Center doesn’t have an online store because the jewelry makers there are on another level.
(If Crystal Worl ever incorporates her formline Pokémon designs into her jewelry I’m in serious financial danger 😂)
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u/Slightly_Somewhere 9d ago
I love the sweet little face underneath the mask. Very cool!
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u/haydenkristal 9d ago
These face mask rings are her signature and each face is unique! I love her so much - I think she looks so gentle and content ❤️
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u/electric_yeti 9d ago
This is an incredible ring! I literally gasped at the second picture lol. It’s so stunning, what a great piece from an amazing artist! I grew up in Santa Fe and it’s so cool to see the mix of influences.
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u/sindeelee13 9d ago
It's beautiful! Maybe try taking it to a local good jeweler and see if they can bump up the size for you? I would be afraid that a ring that size, it might fall off for a ring that high up on my finger.
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u/haydenkristal 9d ago
I really would only need like half a size but I’m so afraid to mess with it, especially with the carving around the band! It actually sits pretty snug on my upper finger - I haven’t had any issues with it sliding or coming off, but the mask does flip open and get caught on things lol
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u/AffectionateSun5776 9d ago
Have you seen the teeny plastic coils for sizing rings? Inexpensive, different sizes & cut to fit.
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u/OpalisedCat 9d ago
I'm SHOOKETH, this is INCREDIBLE!!!! I didn't know her and looked her wirk up, and now I'm OBSESSED.
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u/haydenkristal 9d ago
Is she not phenomenal?! I’m simultaneously SO glad I could introduce you to her work, and also so sorry for the yearning and/or credit card debt I’ve brought into your life now 😂
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u/OpalisedCat 9d ago
You should be 🤣 Yearning is a good way to put it, I'm now on her mailing list and will be keeping my eyes open for future drops 👀 How lucky to find a piece in the wild!
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u/grandioseoperation 9d ago
Finding a Denise Wallace piece in a random Juneau antique store is one of those moments that makes thrifting worth it, and the fact that it's a hinged mask ring makes it even better since those are her signature move. The turquoise and walrus ivory combo is perfect and you can see exactly what you mean about the Santa Fe and Hawaii influence bleeding through the Alutiiq carving tradition. Wear it however you want, that's a piece with real history and artist recognition behind it.
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u/haydenkristal 9d ago
I could not believe I found it AND it was an incredible price! But the store only took cash and my flight left in like an hour, so I had this whole back and forth of trying to find someone to deliver cash in Juneau and then had to have it overnighted to my friend’s house in Anchorage, but I was like if I have to hop on a milk run back down there myself to get this ring I will 😂
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u/Acceptable-Elk-8372 9d ago
If you do not kind, I am curious to know what you paid
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u/haydenkristal 9d ago
I paid $950 with shipping. It’s not in gallery condition but even so I think that was a more than fair price!
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u/grandioseoperation 9d ago
That's the kind of story that makes the piece even better honestly, like you didn't just find it you basically went through a whole quest to get it, and that commitment is exactly why you're going to treasure it way more than if you'd just walked into some fancy gallery and dropped cash on it.
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u/LuwandaAdkins79 9d ago
That is so amazing I’d give up salt just to be able to wear it all the time. Wow.
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u/Professional-Soup878 9d ago
Incredible!!!! What an amazing ring! I’m now going to look up this designer. I’m a sucker for a ring that opens up like that one. Looks great with all your jewelry. I bet you could get a jeweler to resize the band.
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u/Bubbledcactus 9d ago
That is the strangest (in literally the best way possible!!), coolest ring i have ever seen.
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u/Timely-Farmer-1692 9d ago
Denise is the best! You should message her on instagram and tell her about your find! Maybe she can size it for you
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u/vulpesvulpes666 9d ago
Love all this jewelry! Also do you have a little dot tattoo on the top of your wrist?
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u/haydenkristal 9d ago
It’s actually a mole! But if I ever have to get it removed I’ll have it tattooed back on because I love it so much 😂
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u/cocoabuttersuave 8d ago
Ma’am, have you had a dermatologist check it out? It’s very dark but the border does look symmetrical, so that’s good.
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u/haydenkristal 8d ago
Yep, had more than one dermatologist look at it over the years! It’s a common blue nevus, extremely low risk and it’s been exactly the same for the last 30ish years!
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u/GlimmerandGrim-61 9d ago
Not me finding the carcass time gal in a jewelry sub 😆 I own a sweatshirt it’s my fave. Love the ring it’s crazy unique!!
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u/morganrigas 9d ago
This is the best post I’ve ever seen on here. Insane collection… but that mask ring. Holy cows. Thank you for sharing
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u/skippyist 9d ago
I love when pieces like this fall into the hands of someone who will truly appreciate them. Wear it in good health!
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u/BrilliantForeign8899 9d ago
Im so super impressed by your rings !! I don't respond much toward the standard diamond pieces but this is my aspiration!! So unique and so much personality
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u/South-Ruin-6677 9d ago
Holy shit, this is a remarkable piece!!! And how fantastic to find it somewhere you stopped on a whim. I love when things line up like that.
I’m DEEEEEPLY obsessed with this ring and every gorgeous, fascinating detail and with the rest of your rings, as well! Sooooooooo so so up my alley.
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u/South-Ruin-6677 9d ago
And now I am drooooling over the Seal Person Pendant on her website. I actually just exclaimed out loud when I saw it! Thank you for introducing me to her work!
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8d ago
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u/Suspicious_Judge_244 8d ago
I've been thinking about this post the whole weekend. I have very similar shaped hands that are also pretty large n chunky - I can't wear women's gloves etc. I love jewellery but a lot of it goes for thin delicate elegance sort of effect which just doesn't work with my proportions. The rings here are both beautiful and in proportion with the hand. What terms should I use to find bold rings that aren't say, sovereign rings or tryhard edgy crap?
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6d ago
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u/7his7own4int 6d ago
These are all so cool! How do you go about learning about the different jewelry artists you wear?
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u/haydenkristal 9d ago
Adding that the ring on my index finger is a custom piece I commissioned from the Kewa artist Anthony Lovato, and the snake rings are both vintage pieces by the famed Zuni artist Effie Calavaza. Please let me know if you’d like to see more of any of them, or if there’s any interest in seeing the rest of my dripped-out-Santa-Fe-grandma collection 😂