Tufa casting is one of the earliest forms of Navajo jewelry making. This ancient process is an authentic process for Navajo jewelry which refers to the process of using the porous tufa stone that is carved and used as a mold to form the structure of the jewelry. Aaron Anderson is a tufa master, making jewelry using this method for as long as he can remember. With Aaron Anderson's jewelry, there is no question of authenticity since he provides the owner of his incredible work the tufa stone he used to cast the piece. This is a unique addition for a collector and insures the piece is one-of-a-kind and will never be cast again.

Aaron Anderson grew up in a family of jewelry makers, but he didn't begin to take a personal interest in it until he was in his late twenties. His father, step-father, and uncles all created jewelry sing tufa carvings, but they refused to teach Aaron, instisting that he had to find is own way if he was destined for the art. Although he did find his own path, he was heavily influenced by this father, Wilbert Anderson. Other influences include Wiford Henry, Aaron's stepfather, and Charles Laloma and Charlie Pratt.

Navajo artist Aaron Anderson Tufa Casting from John Beeman on Vimeo.