Turquoise/Native American jewelry

[alanfgag]

Wearing this Mark Chee cuff again today... giving the workout to the other arm!

 

[alanfgag]

A mid-20th century cuff stamped with the horned moon mark of the Navajo Arts and Crafts Guild.

 

[alanfgag]

 

[alanfgag]

singlehandedly keeping this thread alive...

;^)

 

[Short Balding Guy]

singlehandedly keeping this thread alive...

Applause! I have kept up with the posts, mostly your's Alan and have enjoyed them. We do not own any Native American Jewelry so I can not contribute. I have googled a few of the artists to visit their wares. My wife has both Cherokee and Hopi Native ancestry included in her gene "soup." We have a small collection of other native american items - no jewelry yet.

I enjoy the thread. Best, Eric -

 

[BobHufford]

singlehandedly...

I see what you did there. [emoji4]

Thanks for posting your amazing collection.

Here is a tiny contribution. Found this small Zuni Sunface bracelet (hand made links) for my wife at a small town swap meet for $4.00.

 

[alanfgag]

Thanks for your notes and contributions! Not whining of course, just taking the opportunity for a pun. ;^) Will keep sharing.

 

[1mach1]

singlehandedly keeping this thread alive...

;^)

Beautiful, Alan. That ring is the business!

 

[alanfgag]

Thanks Harv!

 

[shadowrider]

Hey fellas, I thought this thread would be good for my question.
I recently saw a pair of old, navajo made silver shirt collar tips.
Now all the contemporary ones I see are about 0.25" thick, and you're supposed to stick the collar tip into them, and then stop it in place with a screw. The pair I own are like that.
These vintage ones, however, are flat. They have three little hooks on the underside that you're to sew the collar tips to. I'm wondering, was that how they used to be constructed, back in the day?

 

[alanfgag]

Hey fellas, I thought this thread would be good for my question.
I recently saw a pair of old, navajo made silver shirt collar tips.
Now all the contemporary ones I see are about 0.25" thick, and you're supposed to stick the collar tip into them, and then stop it in place with a screw. The pair I own are like that.
These vintage ones, however, are flat. They have three little hooks on the underside that you're to sew the collar tips to. I'm wondering, was that how they used to be constructed, back in the day?

I have seen collar tips that are flat to be sewn on as you describe but I do not own any. These collar tips are c. 1950. They are hollow, with a pin attached that is secured through the shirt collar as a tie would be with a tie tack. It can be a challenge to feed the collar into the opening past the pin, but otherwise, it's a good system.

 

[alanfgag]

A small ring with three stacked nugget shaped turquoise stones by Hopi silversmith Morris Robinson (Talawytewa) who lived from 1900-1987. Bought this for my wife but maybe she will let me wear it from time to time on my little finger.

I've posted a number of pieces from my collection of Robinson's work previously on this thread - a little recap below. His

 

[alanfgag]

Black Friday shopping brought home a few new pieces.

This early cuff (perhaps 1920s) is unmarked ingot silver of good weight with beautiful stamp work.

Also, these two vintage rings with handsome turquoise cabochons... the green one is massive, but I think might be nice for my wife on a silk cord. Hoping she thinks so too.

 

[RJR]

Black Friday shopping brought home a few new pieces.

This early cuff (perhaps 1920s) is unmarked ingot silver of good weight with beautiful stamp work.

Also, these two vintage rings with handsome turquoise cabochons... the green one is massive, but I think might be nice for my wife on a silk cord. Hoping she thinks so too.

Great finds,congrats.

 

[BobHufford]

Wow ... super nice Alan!

 

[shadowrider]

In regards to native silver pieces with a turquoize stone, I've seen two methodes used for stonesetting: one is like the the classic bezel setting, the other has the metal making a zig-zag line around the stone to hold it. Does anyone know if these two methods vary geographically/historicaly between Tribes and Nations?

 

[Sheepdog149]

I love Navajo jewelry too. You can see a silver/turquoise ring I'm wearing in this pic:

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

 

[alanfgag]

Nice additions Sheepdog.

In regards to native silver pieces with a turquoize stone, I've seen two methodes used for stonesetting: one is like the the classic bezel setting, the other has the metal making a zig-zag line around the stone to hold it. Does anyone know if these two methods vary geographically/historicaly between Tribes and Nations?

My sense from pieces I have followed and collected is that in Navajo silver work, older pieces in general use a plain bezel to secure stones. There will be exceptions of course. In recent and contemporary jewelry, many methods are used, including hand cut bezel fingers. The zigzag bezel that you refer to is common in Zuni jewelry pieces that use many small stones. The use of this bezel material by Zuni silversmiths seems to go back to the early 20th century.

 

[shadowrider]

Nice additions Sheepdog.



My sense from pieces I have followed and collected is that in Navajo silver work, older pieces in general use a plain bezel to secure stones. There will be exceptions of course. In recent and contemporary jewelry, many methods are used, including hand cut bezel fingers. The zigzag bezel that you refer to is common in Zuni jewelry pieces that use many small stones. The use of this bezel material by Zuni silversmiths seems to go back to the early 20th century.

View attachment 61730

Great! Thanks!

 

[BobHufford]

Hat band slide by Jimmy Begay, Jr. (Navajo).