Vernon Begaye was born in 1965 and began practicing silversmithing techniques around the age of 9 under the supervision of his jewelry-making parents Jimmy and Ella-Mae Begaye. He was the recipient of the 1993 South West American Indian Artists Fellowship Award for Most Promising Artist, which allowed him to pursue further education in jewelry making, including courses with the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). He specializes in tufa cast work that merges traditional and contemporary designs.
