Experience &
Professionalism
When founded in 1990, The Silver Mesa
was a company backed by 20 years of experience.
 Owner, Fritz (Douglass) Baker,
began as an apprentice silversmith in the early 1970's in
Phoenix, Arizona, at Silver by Lannings, one of the oldest
established handmade Indian jewelry shops in the
southwest. Perfecting his skills by working
alongside Hopi, Navajo, Santo Domingo and Mexican
silversmiths, he soon became shop foreman. This led
to ten years as master silversmith, designer and manager
at Circle J.W. Products, another large jewelry shop in
Phoenix, followed by five years as manager and co-owner of
Tucker Trading Company in Prescott, Arizona.
Our craftsmen have years of
experience, as well. Head silversmith, Daniel Tapija,
Jr. (Yavapai/Hopi/Apache/Hualapai), began apprenticeship under Fritz in
1984. Today, Dan takes modest pride in his
beautiful, precision hand stamping and soldering, which
have earned him the title of "master
silversmith".
Gwyn Liles (1/4 Apache) has been
contributing her skills since the late 1980's. Gwyn
designs and strings necklaces and bead bracelets, sets
stones and creates the fine polish you see on our
silverwork. No doubt, she inherited her love for
silver and turquoise from her Apache father, who is
himself an accomplished silversmith.
Travis Campbell (1/4 Tarahumara)
joined us in 2000. Travis does the quality leatherwork
for our concho belts and hatbands, provides valuable
general assistance to the shop by preparing parts and components,
and handles findings assembly.
Fritz's wife, Sandra, who worked as a silversmith and
inlayer at Al-Zuni's and Circle J.W. Products in Phoenix for several
years in the 1970's, is in charge of accounting and
promotion.
It is this wealth of experience that enables us to provide the high quality jewelry and
prompt professional service our customers enjoy.
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