Ray Graves is a studio jeweler who has been working in the American Southwest since 1959. Born in Pennsylvania, he attended the Albright School of Art in New York State in 1948.
Graves began creating jewelry in the 1950s. In 1959, he and his wife, Elsje, moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, to set up shop at the Lloyd Kiva Art Center.
Graves used the name Gra-Wun for the shop, combining the letters of his last name with those of his former partner, Bertha Wunderlich, who had left the business earlier. He used the name for both the shop and his jewelry throughout his career.
Graves’ work was particularly popular in the 1960s and ’70s. He won awards for his designs, and his jewelry was sold in high-end department stores and worn by celebrities.
Gra-Wun remained open until 2001. Graves died in 2015.
