Ben Nighthorse Northern Cheyenne Multistone Inlay Ring, Size 7.5

This vintage sterling silver multistone inlay ring is signed BEN NIGHTHORSE, the hallmark of Ben Nighthorse Campbell (1933–2025), an enrolled member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Montana and a member of the Tribe's Council of 44 Chiefs. As a congressman from Colorado, Campbell co-sponsored the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990.

The artist

Campbell's father taught him to solder metal and make jewelry when he was a boy. He captained the U.S. judo team at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and his jewelry drew on techniques he learned from Japanese sword makers. National Jeweler reported that his pieces were collected by Mick Jagger, Robert Redford and several U.S. presidents.

As a congressman in 1989, Campbell introduced the House bill that created the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, and he later served in the U.S. Senate from 1993 to 2005. Ahead of the museum's 2004 opening he told Roll Call: "They call it a closing of the circle. Things are complete and good."

Campbell died on December 30, 2025. No new pieces will be made.

This ring

Raised multistone inlay: precision-cut stones set in bezel-bordered cells that rise above the sterling silver band. Four stones, turquoise, red coral, malachite and mother of pearl, in a clean line across the top of the band. Signed BEN NIGHTHORSE on the interior with a STERLING mark.

• Artist: Ben Nighthorse Campbell, enrolled Northern Cheyenne
• Hallmark: BEN NIGHTHORSE / STERLING
• Metal: Sterling silver
• Stones: Turquoise, red coral, malachite, mother of pearl
• Technique: Raised multistone inlay
• Ring size: 7.5
• Weight: 5.4g
• Era: Vintage, circa 1980s–1990s
• Provenance: Southwest auction house