It's All About the Rocks

Don't get me wrong here—the sterling work is where the real artistry comes in. But closer examination of Native American works show that the stone was the inspiration for the piece, and the sterling work is often designed around it. This is the case when a stone 'speaks' to the artisan.

Certain mines produce stones that are soft, yet stable, and are easily carved to fit into a particular style of jewelry. Zuni Petit Point and Needle Point pieces are almost exclusively done using Sleeping Beauty mine stones for this reason. Their sky blue color and absence of matrix make for some pretty amazing displays.

Many mines produced for a short period and some rendered stones that are easily identified, but there are so many mines that have been in operation for decades, the different turquoise veins that are tapped will often have stones of drastically varying characteristics. This can make stone identification difficult as one mine will produce stones very similar to another.

There are a few exceptions; turquoise from the Lander Blue mine, the #8 mine, the Bisbee mine and a few others, have an unmistakable matrix and color as the veins of the mine continually produce turquoise of the same look and quality. The desire for this type of stone is high, with Lander Blue being the most expensive turquoise on the market due to the low production rate of the mine and the unusual matrix and color of the stones. As you might guess, we don't find a lot of Lander pieces, but when we do, they sell very quickly.

Turquoise is such a wonderful and time honored offering from the earth, its importance in Native American works is highly significant, and when a piece is true to the stone, it increases its value considerably. We see a lot of work and it's always disappointing to see sterling work that was obviously done with great care, only to have an inferior stone slapped into it. But turquoise prices, especially for high-grade stones, have proven prohibitive to artisan's that produce a lot of work. It's the pieces that are done by artisans with little concern for mass production that invariably incorporate quality stones. These are the pieces we present on the website.

Stone selection is a major factor in the pieces we offer, and turquoise that has been treated / stabilized is shied away from—its color and matrix are no longer natural and it gives the stones a plastic appearance. The stabilization process became popular in the 1950s as a way to offer more stones to the jewelry manufacturing industry—the process was used on inferior grade materials that were prone to breaking, and its still being done today, with the stones being incorporated into mass produced jewelry.

We do the best we can when identifying natural turquoise stones, and will not give a definitive identification unless we're certain of their origin, which is often the case. There are just too many variations produced by a single source to say with absolute certainty in some instances, and misleading our buyers is simply not an option. The pieces we offer incorporate superior stones, many being gem quality, from high-grade sources. There's just no reason to do it any other way.

The Wonder of Native American Sterling Cast Work

One of the big reasons I chose Native American Jewelry studies as my livelihood is the vast amount of information out there. A lot is easily accessible but there are hidden pockets that reveal a much deeper understanding of the art form than is usually offered. My best source has been the collectors and traders I interface with; people that have a long association with the art form.

I handle so many pieces I have time to closely examine the techniques used and have formed some opinions around certain aspects. One area that I've found to be particularly interesting is Tufa cast work, which is commonly referred to as Sandcast. This was one of the first techniques used by Native Americans to create jewelry for everyday adornment, ceremonial applications and as gifts for fellow tribe members.

The pieces are often heavy and feature bold designs. Earlier pieces are regularly rough in nature with the design elements being left un-manicured which gives them a slightly primitive look (I like that a lot!). With the advent of mass production and precision measurement tools, a lot of the personality has been removed from the work. Casts for pieces made prior to this had to be “eyeballed” as far as the shapes and thicknesses of the item were concerned. A cast would be made and utilized until it's integrity waned and a new cast was required if the design was to be duplicated. The great thing is, the casts were seldom re-created once they were exhausted, and if they were, the duplicate cast was different than the original rendering each casting as a unique, individual design.

The designs are almost always symmetrical with matching elements that when eyeballed didn't quite end up the same as their sister elements. These older pieces are the ones I strive to acquire—their handcrafted nature is endearing and speaks to the artisan following edicts of early jewelry making in which they let the Gods guide them through all aspects.

One such piece I acquired many years ago is a massive bracelet which was culled from the Witte Museum in San Antonio, Texas. It's been dated to between 1900 and 1920 and is a stellar example of early Navajo cast work featuring many of the aforementioned attributes.

Much of what I've mentioned here has taken a while for me to absorb. With each new acquisition of a cast sterling piece of considerable age, I learn more about this important technique, it's cultural origins and it's handcrafted charm.

Coveted and Hard to Come By: The Native American Hair Piece

Native American's are known for their daily adornments, most, if not all, are made by fellow tribe members and given as gifts during certain ceremonies or celebrations. During celebratory activities adornments are ramped up a few levels and they wear their best and most treasured pieces, often stacking them one on the other. Many pieces have cultural significance and are sometimes directly related to the ceremony taking place, like this Holly Bracelet.

Everyday adornments are kept fairly simple with the hair piece being an ever present decoration. These pieces are functional art and are often passed down from generation to generation.

The Navajo hair piece pictured above is from the 1930s or previous, beautifully crafted, simple in design and traditionally constructed from a single piece os sterling.

This Rain Cloud design is also very old, and it's design speaks to Native American culture, their connection to the Earth and the importance of the Gods' willingness to provide them with much needed moisture. Again, this piece is artfully cut from a single sterling sheet.

This elongated Navajo piece is from the 1940s and incorporates an exaggerated twist in the pick elements and beautifully applied traditional stamping, with the featured stamps being done with a chisel. The tines are seperate from the headpiece and are beautifully soldered into place.

This very old Navajo piece is also elongated and has considerable age indications. The odd shaped stone is beautifully set and the hand stamping varies dramatically. The tines are seperate on this one as well, and in keeping with the primitive, early nature they're not as cleanly attached as the previous piece as the proper tools were not available at the time of it's construction

An important technique used in older Native American jewelry construction is “eyeballing” the stamp placement, the initial cut of the sterling with which the piece is to be made and stone positioning. This is one of my favorite attributes of handling Vintage and Old Pawn pieces and can easily be compared to musical improvisation.

Having these pieces in our collection is a real feather in our cap as they seldom leave the family of origin, and when they do, they more than likely remain within the tribe, as their personal nature is highly regarded. Most of these pieces were made specifically for a loved one or relative while considering their personal style or positioning within the tribal hierarchy.

And we have a Winner!

One of the first techniques used by Native Americans in jewelry making was the use of Tufa Casting, or as it's more commonly referred to, Sandcast. Very early on, from the mid 1800s, wet, stiff sand was artfully shaped and molten metal, usually sterling silver, was poured into the mold. This renders a unique look and the result is often pretty weighty. The cast sterling, once removed from the mold, had to be filed smooth and delicately shaped by the artisan. The molds deteriorated after each use and the castings change slightly each time. If the artisan needed several cast elements for something like this Concho Belt, a mold would often have to be re-created thus rendering slightly different characteristics as each new mold was made. There were no precision measurement tools available and casting work was all done by “eyeballing” the shape of the mold.

This 1880 to 1900 Concho Belt pre-dates what Native American jewelry aficionados refer to as “Phase One”; a specified time period when the art form first came to fruition. The craftsmanship is outstanding—the unknown artisan took this belt very seriously and it shows. That the leather belt is original is a miracle in itself. The belt was used for a period and acquired by a serious collector who stored it for close to a century and it's condition is beyond reproach.

I've seen thousands of Concho Belts and owned several, but this is by far the best representation of Navajo casting work I've had the pleasure to even see much less be able to acquire.

Sky and Earth

by Scott Anderson: Native Treasures Online - East Coast Operative

I've never written a blog before so I'm quite surprised to find myself writing my first one far from home and far from the places traditionally associated with my subject today, that being the mineral phenomenon known as Turquoise.

I am not a geologist, nor an artist, nor a theologian or an economist, and I therefore concede that there are deeper writings on everything I'll discuss here today. I stand at this nexus radiating from the stone as an admirer and a tourist of sorts in the realms of these experts.

My first exposure to this stone was in my grade school years when a kid from up the street showed me a stone he had obtained on a trip to some exotic location. Turkoyse was how he said it, and it was valuable. It immediately impressed my young mind and I accepted it's value on his say-so alone. That impression sat many years before I was again exposed to the stone.

When I moved to Albuquerque at the age of seventeen there were few jobs for which I was qualified and one of the possibilities was working for an "Indian Jewelry" shop. As it turned out, I never did go to work for such a place, but many of my acquaintances took their turn working in these sweatshops grinding heishi for the quick sell to tourists that didn't know any better. To me, the whole subject of turquoise was decidedly utilitarian. The stuff seemed to be everywhere and it's enthusiasts merely a class of prey for the local merchants.

Fast forward through the years--about thirty. These experiences have faded deep into the realm of irrelevance now. There was the occasional reminder of the art form employing turquoise and silver as my life took me far from New Mexico, but somehow the place and the people had made me one of their own. I remember driving to my job at the Ambrosia Lakes mines outside of Grants, New Mexico. I looked off to the side of the road and saw the smooth rolling brown hills and was overcome with something strange and warm. These hills, this land, were now my mother. I was born from them and in them I belonged as on my Mother's arm. Wherever life might take me, I would never forget this place and this time.

From Albuquerque one can see in the distance a beautiful mountain. You have to be on a high place to see it off to the west. It's called by the white man, Mount Taylor. This is a holy place. It was in the foothills of this place that I saw my Mother Earth. There is no arbiter of justice, there is only what is part of us and what is not. This land and I are of a piece. Maybe it's a reach to claim more than that, but the particular stone we call Turquoise is of this land too. In fact it is found in globally diverse places, but here in the New World, it is closely associated with the Southwestern United States.

All this variety has led to a hope that we might classify the stones and indeed we do, but the predominant classification is by mines from which a particular stone was quarried, hence mysterious names such as The #8 Mine or Carrico Lake, Cerrillos or Pilot Mountain. To anyone seeking to know more about this beautiful stone it can all seem quite daunting and indeed to compound the problem there is plenty of misrepresentation around these stones. Its really not a matter of malicious intent either, it is mostly just that there is really no solid science to the whole thing. Any particular quarry or mine will produce a variety of gem-quality pieces depending on where in the vein they were found. And yet, each mine can produce stones unaffectionately referred to as crap. Strangely or not, these stones never seem to receive the appellation of place like that afforded the best wines. Which brings us to yet another point and the comparison with wines is inescapable on this point. A cheap wine is made of grapes sourced from the cheapest supplier and they are likely to be a mixture of grapes from moderately diverse locations. Likewise turquoise of poor quality can be ground into a powder and bound with epoxy resins to produce a uniform composite which will take a polish and can be easily cut to size. This is referred to simply as "block" by those in the trade. This is not gem-quality stone and, unfortunately finds it's way into a lot of cheap jewelry.

So having danced around this subject maybe a bit more than necessary, we're still wondering what it is that gives a stone value. There's beauty, but how can one measure that? There's rarity, but that is a difficult thing to quantify when the stones themselves vary so much within even a single mine. There are physical qualities such as hardness and the ability to take a polish. These are a better bet at least on the quantitative front and indeed they really do matter probably more than anything else, except, where the stone came from. There are particular qualifiers to this though and that's the particular mine from which the stone was quarried. Some mines are active today, some had a brief spurt of glory in recent times and are now lost forever under hundreds of feet of quarry tailings, while yet others were mined in prehistoric as well as historic times. One can do the calculations at home as well as can I; rarity equals value, historicity equals value, beauty equals value, yet in the end, most of what determines value is subjective at best and unmeasurable except through the most tortured of extensions. What is one to do about all this?

Well, the answer is really one for each to answer for oneself. My own attraction to Turquoise is a complex thing, but it always holds a sense of place for me. Having no true homeland myself, it reminds me of the place that claimed me so many years ago. I see the weathered rocks and the weathered faces of the natives who work the stone, the silver, and the leather into reflections of this land. But even this association is by personal experience as much as objective fact. Many wonderful stones of Persian, Tibetan, and even Chinese origin have found their way into finely crafted pieces of Southwestern Native American Jewelry. The turquoise stone is a color in the artist's palette as much anything, yet anyone who has spent any time in the American Southwest can see those skies set against the tones of the desert, and know why this stone is such an integral part of it's people's craft.

JW Edgar--The Turquoise King of the Southwest

We've had an opportunity to acquire some superior pieces from the J.W. Edgar estate here in Albuquerque. Edgar was referred to as “The Turquoise King of the Southwest” during his 100 years, and on his passing his family has slowly started to offer pieces from his private collection. At one time Edgar owned close to 11 thousand acres of turquoise claims in Nevada, several of them producing much sought after, high grade stones. He sold much of what his mines produced to Indian Trading Posts throughout the Southwest with much of it ending up on the Native American pueblos of New Mexico.

Legendary silversmiths were regularly employed by Edgar to incorporate his best stones into special, one-of-a-kind pieces, many of which Edgar kept for himself, with many more being offered to important collectors, dignitaries and pop culture icons. Often pieces would return to Edgar in trade when someone wanted to either upgrade or have something designed especially for them. He was the “go-to guy” when you wanted the best available. RG Armstrong had this chip inlay watch bracelet custom made by one of Edgar's silversmiths, and later traded it for something else. With Armstrong's extensive stage, film and television presence, starting in the late 1930s and lasting beyond 2000, this is not only a highly desirable work of Native American art, but an important Hollywood collectable.

The acquisition of two, Old Navajo Pawn Bow Guards / Ketohs has been a real feather in our cap as far as adding to our museum worthy offerings. The stones and craftsmanship are completely "over the top" on both of them and we're very excited to add them to the Native Treasures collection. You can get a good look at them in the video, they're located in the Featured Pieces category on the website and include some extensive provenance in their descriptions.

As negotiations continue we're confident that additional pieces from this impressive estate will become available. We'll keep you posted!

It's all about the ART

In the '70s the market price of silver went through the roof, got close to $50 an ounce and slowly worked it's way back down to $12. The increase happened quickly but the decline took a while. The same thing is happening now. Silver is nearing $50 after being stable at around $17 for decades, dropping to $12 occasionally. This has seen jewelry prices increase as it's costing more to produce. The price is going to peak here pretty quickly, and with the economy currently being what it is, I foresee it tanking in the very near future.

Everybody is up in arms about how expensive silver has become, and I'm real sorry, but I don't get it. I understand that the contemporary trinket market depends heavily on the availability of silver, but trinkets are just that—quickly thrown together, mass produced identical pieces aimed at a quick sale to the general public. The art aspect is not a consideration, or if it is, it's minimal at best.

The only reason I even have knowledge of silver prices sky-rocketing is that my suppliers are beginning to consider it when offering me goods. They complain about it all the time, make sure they tell me all about it as an excuse to raise their prices.

I ignore it. Always have. I'm not dealing in pieces of metal, I procure art, and the cost of materials to produce it is completely immaterial. The end product, when created by artisans that “care” far transcends the cost of materials.

Bulk can be a consideration when acquiring, as heavier pieces are often desirable. Artisan's worth their salt use heavy gauge materials to insure their creations will be sturdy, and last a few lifetimes. Considerable weight can increase the value of a piece, but it has little to do with the market price of shiny metal.

I just acquired this exquisite Old Pawn Navajo Turquoise bracelet. It's one of, if not the, most beautifully crafted carinated-band-shank bracelet I've ever seen. It weighs 108 grams, or 3.6 Troy ounces. That puts it's silver scrap value at around $145. Anyone that would sell this masterpiece for scrap needs their head examined.

I wonder how much the paint cost when Davinci did the Mona Lisa? Not real sure that's a consideration when establishing it's value.

South of the Border

William Spratling moved to Mexico in 1929 after nine years as a writer and architectural student in New Orleans, where he associated with literary colony types like Faulkner, Farge, Blom and many others. Spratling's interest in the artisans of Mexico led to his promotion of a gallery show for the works of Diego Rivera, the first Mexican art presentation in the US.

Dwight Morrow, a US Ambassador, pointed out that the town of Taxco was a silver mining center, had been for centuries, but there was a lack of art being produced in the area. Spratling's design background was ample and he subsequently hired an experienced goldsmith to join him in Taxco and begin producing his jewelry designs. Once it was apparent that these works were desirable in the states, several artisans were employed to increase production.

Sadly, Spratling opened his company to private investors and eventually lost control of “Spratling y Artesanos” in 1946. But what he had started flourished dramatically and Mexican jewelry design was available throughout America in abundance, due to his efforts.

I often acquire Mexican produced pieces as many of them are beautifully designed and constructed. Link bracelets like this bulky dyed quartz Bracelet, probably from the 1940s, are superb examples of the quality work coming out of Mexico. The linking of large sterling panels was a Spratling innovation and this Lapis Inlay bracelet incorporates Aztec design elements, thick, sturdy construction and was undoubtedly fashioned after a Spratling design. This Taxco artisan hallmarked Wave design bracelet is just superb and really speaks to the talent of the silversmith. Mexican link bracelet design became very bold as time went on as seen in this 4 link bracelet featuring Amethyst stones and chisel chased design elements.

Ornate multi-layered sterling designs were popular with the Taxco area artisans and many are executed so beautifully and with such attention to detail, that they increased demand for Mexican jewelry, like this 1930s Rose Design bracelet. Finding one is this condition is rare and it's a shining example of detailed silversmithing. This cross pendant, hallmarked by a Taxco artisan, incorporates ornate layering and a lapis centerpiece, as well as linking techniques.

Often times Taxco artisans would use a higher grade of silver due to it's availability. This 950 silver link necklace with it's dyed stones is a great example of using silver of a higher grade than sterling and following link design edicts established by Spratling.

Art Deco designs were produced in great quantities when Mexican jewelry was being developed. This 1930s-40s set of Green Glass Dangle earring, probably by renowned artisan Pedro Castillo are a wonderful handcrafted example. This boldly designed Art Deco pin can also be used as a pendant by attaching a chain to the delicate loops and it's Art Deco design is “over the top.”

A style came out of the Taxco area in the 1930s resembling Native American repousse work. The silver would be hammered into wooden molds of Mexican icons, and attached to a flat backing plate. The wood rendered a much “softer” edge than that of Native American repousse work and this Aztec design influenced, large format pin is a superb example of this technique.

We will continue to offer high quality Mexican works. Their history is intriguing, the craftsmanship is often outstanding and the bold nature of the work is a lot of fun to wear.

Old Pawn Native American Handcrafted Jewelry

“Old Pawn” is a designation given to pieces that weren't necessarily left at a pawn shop and never claimed, although it's often the case. There are construction techniques and design styles that will often be labeled as Old Pawn, and these are, more often than not, pieces made before the 1950s.

WWII saw a lot of Native Americans in the armed forces, and when they returned home they brought a plethora of tools with them that changed how jewelry was made. Precision instruments that either took the place of doing things by hand or made it considerably easier to craft works in a more refined way as well as faster. Old techniques were abandoned by many of the Native silversmiths yet others stuck with their methods as tradition played a big role in creating their works of art.

Old Pawn is the most sought after genre of the art form and many artisans are returning to traditional techniques as it gives the jewelry a feel of authenticity that's hard to achieve without getting your hands dirty, so to speak. This Kirk Smith Navajo Squash Blossom Necklace was made sometime in the 1990s and is very traditional in it's design and construction. This set of Earrings by contemporary Navajo artisan Alex Sanchez also pays tribute to Old Pawn jewelry—this is something Sanchez kind of dabbles in--much of his work is quite contemporary, but he does fantastic work when adhering to tradition.

We've acquired some impressive Old Pawn works as of late, great examples of the art form from different southwestern tribes. This Navajo Beaded Necklace with it's amazing turquoise stone and sterling work is hand made right down to the clasp. This Navajo Choker is also handcrafted with each sterling bead being slightly different from the others. It's still on it's original hemp string and the clasp is hand made on this one as well. This set of Navajo Dangle earrings is pretty remarkable; handcrafted sterling beads, the wires connecting the elements are encased in sterling tubes and the ear wires are handcrafted.

Our Bolo Tie collection has grown considerably in the last month with some Old Pawn pieces being acquired. This Navajo Repousse and turquoise bolo is based on concho belt designs from the 1930s and 40s. The handcrafted nature of this piece is undeniable and it's bold design is well executed using primitive tools. Zuni stone to stone inlay relies heavily on the lapidary skills of the artisan and this Old Pawn Zuni bolo tie is a stellar example. Not only was the artisan skilled in the lapidary field but was obviously an accomplished silversmith as well—the sterling lanyard tips are handcrafted specially for this piece. Many Navajo artisans didn't adopt lapidary work right away and the rough turquoise stones on this Navajo shallow shadowbox bolo are held in place with specially hand cut sterling bezels—the look is unique and you just don't see it very often. The sterling lanyard tips are handcrafted on this bolo too, and incorporate a wave design—again, very unique.

Stellar older works are appearing on the website with regularity and I couldn't be more pleased. Having the capacity to represent the Native American art form in it's finest and most traditional genre is what I strive for. Were I to list all the Old Pawn works available on the website, this would turn into a novel. This video features several of our Old Pawn pieces.

More FUN Stuff!!!!

While I'm in the field I find all manner of interesting collectables to add to our Other Interesting Finds category. The category is kind of like my own personal eBay; a place to offer a wide variety of items that are of interest to collectors from many genres.

I've acquired some really fun stuff recently, as well as some high-end collectable pieces.

My personal fave is this set of playing cards featuring works of the pin-up illustrator Vargas of Playboy Magazine fame. His full sized works are collected by many and this whimsical deck of cards is an unusual item from the 1950s--a period in which his notoriety was just starting to take off. 54 cards all featuring miniature versions of some of his early works, one joker with a Vargas Girl and another with a brief history of Vargas.

Native American Baskets are something I'm just starting my studies on, but this fantastic Papago Basket, made of yucca splints is so different than what I've seen, design-wise, that it really spoke to me. It's not an old basket, but it's construction is obviously done by an artisan that knows the art form well and the execution is flawless.

I'd never heard on the Damascene technique which is often used in jewelry making. When it was applied to this wonderful Hotel Desk Bell, on the back of a turtle shell, the results were pretty amazing. If I had a butler, I'd keep this for summoning him.

I simply can't resist rustic Southwestern decor, and when I spotted this immense buffalo skull I had no choice but to acquire it. I had no idea they were so big, and it caused a bit of a problem when trying to fit it into the trunk of my car.

I'm threatening to start a Hairpiece category on the site, as I often find amazing pieces; nice vintage items with tons of character, like this sterling, Navajo Raincloud. What a charming piece. Completely handcrafted, thick and sturdy and very traditionally designed.

I stay real focused when I'm in the field and when something "special" catches my eye, I'm such a "fool for cool" I can't help but grab it up. The Other Interesting Finds category was in the works from day one of website development and I expect it to keep growing.

Rugs, Pottery & Art

We're happy to announce that we've branched out a bit. After hitting the books and talking to galleries and collectors, we've acquired some respectable Rugs, Pottery & Art. The category is in it's infancy, but some of the offering were just to cool to sit on, and we expect the category to grow quickly.

Some of the items offered are in keeping with our promise to offer you the Best of the Southwest and several collectable artisans are represented.

This Vintage Chimayo Rug was made at Trujillo's Weaving Shop, in Chimayo, New Mexico. These guys have been around forever and nothing leaves the shop that isn't top notch.

Santa Clara Pottery is widely collected with a few artisans dominating the field. Stella Chavarria, Gwen Tafoya and Celestina Naranjo create bold Blackware pottery using traditional methods that have been employed for centuries. The works of these talented artisans are highly sought after.

Amado Pena is a world renowned painter and lithographer, and this extremely rare print of "Tomado Agua" is from a limited run of 30 from 1979. It incorporates metallic inks and is one of Pena's early works--a lot more simplistic than his recent offerings. We were lucky to acquire this one; someone was recently offering one on eBay for $1800.

I'm particularly impressed with this lithograph of a pencil drawing depicting a Native American Elder from 1973. The artist is unknown, but wow, what an amazing portrait.

I've enjoyed my studies in these new fields as Native American artisans never cease to intrigue me with their dedication to traditional art forms and their insistence on following methods laid down by their predecessors.

Who Killed Customer Service?

It was my daughter's birthday. We'd eaten at a sushi bar, had arrived at 1:45, and were served 20 minutes later in a very rushed manner. 15 minutes later, while still in the middle of our meal, our server was insistent that we pay our bill immediately. Then the lights started going off in the restaurant, other customers were hurried out the door and clean-up began; chairs piled on tables, vacuum cleaners fired up, chefs closing up the sushi stations, the music was turned off and we were left to finish our food in the dark accompanied by the roar of the vacuum. A not so subtle hint to “be gone.”

There's a high-end coffee and dessert shop in my neighborhood and I wanted to treat my daughter to a nice follow-up to the lunch we'd had. There are no less than 50 dessert options and a myriad of coffees to select from. No sooner had we entered than a surly counter person asked for our order. We weren't even at the counter yet, hadn't had 10 seconds to peruse the offerings, and here this sneering employee with a considerable itch to be elsewhere was making it very clear that she didn't have time to bother with us. She was in a big hurry to toss our desserts at us and move on to her next victim. Once we ordered, she took her sweet time preparing two pieces of pie and coffee, slapped it on the counter and barked a number at us. There was no eye contact. Tip = ZERO.

This trend of treating customers like they're of little consequence has baffled me for 20 years. It seems it happened overnight. I guess I'm “old school”; I remember one of my first jobs pumping gas way back when it was a service provided by the station. A car pulls up, the attendant appears at the driver's window, and performs the duties the driver requests. Can't remember the last time I witnessed this phenomenon. This service vanished a long time ago, replaced with a single employee behind a security window running the show with no co-pilot.

With the economy in decline, which can and does drive sales figures down, customer service can be a determining factor when potential buyers are making their decision on where to spend their hard-won dollars. The sushi bar I mentioned has the best sushi in town, and I'll go there again. I'll just arrive earlier to avoid the bum's rush. But the dessert place won't be seeing me again. Both of those establishments are unique in that the service you receive is a “face to face” interaction. With businesses moving to the internet to reach a wider audience, the “face time” factor is removed and you're left with text on a screen and email communications with which to employ customer service that shines. You're left with some decisions to make concerning how your buyers are treated.

eBay has been employing “feedback” since it's inception, and I invariably scroll through the comments should a seller have a rating of less than 100%. It's stopped me from patronizing certain sellers, especially when their response to negative feedback is terse. If the seller allows the negative feedback to go unaddressed, or admits their mistake, I'm more liable to consider making a purchase. We're all striving to do our best, but the simple fact is, nobody's perfect; mistakes will be made. Owning those mistakes takes a certain level of integrity.

With products becoming widely available on the internet I seek out the suppliers that have a Service Review or Feedback section on their site. But this can be misleading, as often the website has partial reviews that include only the positive aspects of what the customer experienced, or they simply leave out any weak feedback they have received. Should an internet business include any and all service reviews it gives them more credibility as they are willing to let you know that they can't please everybody, perhaps a mistake was made, a miscommunication of some sort; any form of “glitch” in customer service that is offered up to potential buyers indicates to me that the business is aware of the mishap and has taken precautions to insure it's been addressed.

It's important to me that my clientele are treated with all due respect and should any slip on my part transpire, I'll make every effort to insure it's rectified, and adjust my practices to see that it's not repeated. The Service Reviews category on the Native Treasures website has only recently been implemented, as the site is still in it's infancy. Our handful of current reviews are all positive, some of them glowing, as my customer service is based on what I would expect from a site that I have chosen to patronize. Our policy is that ALL reviews will be posted, verbatim, regardless of their message. I make every effort to insure 100% satisfaction, and should a negative review be offered, it's mine to own and potential buyers should have the opportunity to see that although the “face to face” aspect of doing business has been removed, there is still the possibility that a problem can arise. Internet based businesses that follow this policy earn my respect and often my dollars, as honesty is an attribute that instills confidence in potential buyers, and goes a long way toward them becoming repeat customers.

Some Days Are Better Than Others

Over the years I've developed a respectable chain of suppliers, others that when they're in the field looking for specialty items for themselves, obtain items they think would be of interest to me. Sometimes this works out, and others not.

Some recent operative items include this set of carinated band Navajo bracelets. They're not super old, 1950s or so, but they're so wonderfully made, simple and classy, that I've made them my bracelets of choice.

This Vintage Mexican Link Bracelet done in the Taxco style, features superior construction and nicely inlaid pieces of Lapis.

Another Vintage Mexican Link Bracelet that can only be described as “chunky” features sizable jade stones. The piece is really striking. Probably 1940s and in amazing condition.

I've been acquiring a lot of Mexican jewelry as of late, and was pretty pleased when these were offered to me; 1930/40s Vintage Art Deco design handcrafted jade dangle earrings.

This ornate Taxco Cross Pendant has also recently been acquired—beautiful 1940s sterling work with a single lapis centerpiece.

This Old Navajo Pawn Cast Sterling Naja was really a nice addition to the collection with it's primitive hand stamping and the unusual Broken Bow mine turquoise stone.

I've been at this a while and had yet to see a piece of Navajo artisan work utilizing a jade stone, but this old pawn ring features a wonderful piece of jade. Native Americans had no natural source for jade and this stone had to be bought or traded for. Really Rare. It didn't last long...

I do pretty well on my own, manage to cover a lot of bases, but being everywhere at once in a Native American Jewelry hub just ain't gonna happen. I'm pretty lucky to have a group of associates that keep their eyes open for pieces to offer me, and I try and return the favor. Several of us have each other on “speed dial” for when a situation arises that demands immediate attention.

Acquisitions have been pretty slow since the beginning of the year and I was pleased to hear from an operative when he acquired this 1930s Navajo Pawn bolo tie. It's construction and design are unusual as the bolo tie genre was in it's infancy when it was created; the repousse elements, the raised edges created by hammering a mold into the back of the piece, are slightly misaligned, meaning the artisan “eye-balled” their positions. It's based on Navajo Concho Belt designs from that period. I was a little confused when I first viewed it and thought the sterling cast arrow elements had been purchased at some jewelry supply outlet, but further inspection proves them to be handcrafted by the artisan; they're slightly different in size and the stamping varies from arrow to arrow which would not be the case had they been manufactured. This is a great find and I'm hoping it's a sign of things to come in 2011. This piece will make some collector very happy. The images in the video are somewhat larger if you want a closer look.

Put the Focus on the Details

When considering the time involved in the creation of Native American Artisan Jewelry there are indications on vintage pieces, as well as pieces done by certain contemporary artisans, that time was of no consequence. This is most evident on pieces that were created by a Native American FOR a Native American.

Although Navajo sterling overlay is available, yet not very common, some early pieces really stand out in the sweat equity department. This vintage cuff bracelet by unknown artisan “Bluehorse” bears scrutiny. If you'll notice the top and bottom bands are a single, hand cut piece of sterling, but each of the triangle elements in the center two rows were individually placed; each is slightly different, the pattern doesn't match up exactly as Bluehorse didn't use a “jig” to create the floating triangles—each was cut by hand, eye-balling the shapes as they were cut. The bottom band with the triangle elements varies considerably as well. This sort of eye-to-hand coordination, barring the use of measurement tools, give these time intensive pieces character that is missing in many cases.

This set of Old Pawn Navajo sterling dangle earrings is one of the best examples of Native American craftsmanship currently in the collection. When I acquired them it was obvious they are completely hand made, from the ear wires to the sterling beads. What I didn't notice until I examined them closely, is that each of the wires that connect the elements is encased in a tiny sterling cylinder. How this was accomplished I can't venture a guess, but the detail on this small a scale is a testament to the unknown Navajo Artisan's dedication to creating a work of art with little to no consideration for the time required. The artistic content of the finished piece, even though the naked eye won't be privy to it, is all that was on the artisan's mind. The mind boggles at how those minuscule cylinders were created.

I avoided Zuni Chip inlay work for many years, as I had seen some pieces that were obviously thrown together; the stone chips have to be given considerable attention as per size and shape, as when chip inlay, or as it's sometimes called “tweezer inlay,” is created, it's like making a jig-saw puzzle with nothing to refer to as you place the chips into the recesses. A light came on a few years ago when I started seeing some chip inlay that had obviously been done with great care, again with little regard for the time involved. This buckle, featuring a Native American Thunderbird is a fantastic example of chip inlay and attention to design. The recesses on the wings come to a needle-thin point and the artisan managed to find the correct puzzle pieces to fill them, which was no small feat considering the size and shape of chips he had to locate, or in this case they may have been created for the task. Nevertheless, the tightness of the coral, turquoise and Mother of Pearl chips is impressive.

The Reeves family of the Navajo Nation, Gary, David and “Sunshine” are to be labeled as contemporary artisans as they are still producing fine Native American jewelry and have been doing so for decades. Something sets them apart though. They are old-school artisans that work mostly in sterling, using few stones while dedicating themselves to producing time-intensive work. This has served them well as their pieces are collectable and exquisitely crafted. This sterling Navajo belt buckle by Gary Reeves is a prime example of putting the outcome of your efforts in the forefront and ignoring the time required to achieve your goal. The sterling work on this buckle is all done with a hammer and a chisel, the coiled wire accent was hand-twisted and the use of stamping is limited to the single peyote button in the center of the buckle. It doesn't stop there—the tongue and belt attachment bar are also artfully crafted and done using Old Pawn techniques.

At Native Treasures we carry a full line of Native American jewelry, with the focus being on vintage artisan works of high quality. When acquiring pieces for the website the details are all important and warrant considerable investment when the piece shows the undeniable signs of dedication, talent and a desire to reach the design goal. When an artisan pursues their vision with such tenacity, the results are often astounding. This Unique American Art Form will live on as a testament to a people that have survived adversity and continue to express their connection to the Earth through their art.

Antiques from the Southwest

After 10 years of developing a supply chain, I'm finding that hitting the lottery would be required in order for me to acquire the voluminous number of amazing pieces offered to me. I'm a bit obsessed when it comes to bringing home the bacon, yet there is so much STUFF I just can't get it all. I have to let things go all the time, and it's often heartbreaking. I save my funds to invest in high-end, handcrafted Native American artisan works like this early 1900s Navajo turquoise and sterling necklace, and although my suppliers are a talented bunch, they offer me low-end gear a lot of the time--nice stuff, but not nice enough.

I love my suppliers, but my best work is done solo. I've diversified over the years and have gotten to the point that when I find anything of considerable value like this Navajo Yei rug, I can't help but acquire it.

This thing was offered to me by my favorite operative. I'm picking it up today for an extended photo shoot. It's an iron mirror frame that once hung in a brothel in the Tularosa Basin in New Mexico in the late 1800s. Every thing is handcrafted right down to the rivets. 4 feet tall and 30 pounds.

When I find stuff of this caliber it often presents a problem: Keep it or sell it? This would look pretty awesome in my living room.

The art of the Native American Indian

There's a lot to be said for Native American jewelry artisans that were in on it early. The last 100 to 150 years have proven to be an amazing period of creative growth within their culture, and the pioneers that set the stage, developed many of the design elements that are still in use today.

That's the thing though; a lot of contemporary jewelry on the market is being produced inexpensively and in a big hurry because for some reason, demand is pretty high. Many artisans have been absorbed into the mass production aspect of the craft, which in my humble opinion, has devalued the art form.

Designs and techniques that were once an artisans calling card, are now being snagged and used in a completely different way. There was a time Native American Indians saw no need to sign their work--their designs spoke their name to the fellow tribe members the pieces were created for. But global demand has placed such pressure on the industry, and spawned so many "companies" that create knock-offs, entities like eBay will no longer allow you to offer unsigned Native American jewelry in the Native American category. It has to go into a category called "Unsigned Artisan Jewelry" and of course, if you should list an unsigned masterpiece in that category, it goes unnoticed for the most part. This edict was handed down by the Native American community itself, due to all the knock-offs flooding the market.

Don't get me wrong--there is still a sizable community of artisans doing superior work, innovative designers like Kirk Smith, Charles Loloma and Victor Beck, to name a few, that have taken established techniques and are pushing the envelope. I like a lot of their work and have been know to acquire it from time to time.

I have to say though, that my heart really belongs to the pioneers. The artisans that were creating with minimal tools and resources, drawing on European design elements and making them their own by incorporating the cultural and religious aspects of their people as is evident in this Hopi overlay buckle by renowned artisan Michael Kabotie. This is when the guidelines for Native American jewelry were laid down, and a lot of what is being produced currently is a repetition of what has been done before, the big difference being, that the handcrafted aspect is being removed a little at a time.

My main focus for the website is to carry older pieces, the originals as it were. So when I came across this early 1900s Navajo necklace I had no choice but to acquire it. It's background is a common story, and kind of sadly so. It was traded for liquor at a Gallup, New Mexico bar sometime in the mid 20th century; 1950--1960, somewhere around there. The necklace itself was produced much earlier and has been dated by associates as being from between 1900 and 1930. This was a family heirloom, and was traded for a hangover.

I've heard one-too-many stories like this and I've often wondered what I could do to instigate positive change. I looked into several options and have chosen the American Indian College Fund as the organization to support. My partners in Native Treasures left this decision to me and assisting young people sounds like a pretty good idea. We're still a young company, barely been on the books for a few months now. The website is still in it's infancy and generating funds beyond what is required to keep the business afloat, won't start to happen for another six months or so, when our search engines start to do their job and start driving Google searches to the site. I've contacted AICF and have shared my intentions with them. I expect to be able to start regular support for this system in the next six months.

Every Once In A While

I'm a big integrity fan. I try and associate with people that embrace this attribute. I happened to find one that has exceeded all expectation.

There were problems with the initial website, and rebuilding it from the ground up was the only solution. Important, long-time clients couldn't make heads or tails out of it. One of these clients, being my greatest supporter for many years (see The Pupil Speaks blog).

This client suggested someone that might be able to pull my ass out of the fire, and I'll be damned if she didn't pull it off with great aplomb. The re-coding of the site was one thing, and when it was completed, and the site migrated to a new host for security purposes, I figured I would be left to deal with it, as I had been before. I was wrong.

It's been a few weeks now that she and I have been tweaking the site, and her attention to detail, professionalism and dedication around making sure the site is set up to operate at maximum efficiency, continues to be a source of amazement for me. She developed custom plugins that perform tasks automatically, that previously would have taken several days to implement. She has given me volumes of information concerning search engine optimization. She developed a monitoring system for the site, where I can see extremely detailed information about the site's performance. And here's the clincher: She made three personalized videos showing me exactly how to manage the site—these things weren't laying around to be tossed at all her clients, are by no means generic in nature—she made them specifically for Native Treasures. Impressive.

SunFire Creations is responsible for what you see on the site now. It's clean, easily navigable, fun to cruise around in and highly functional in all respects. I couldn't be happier with what she has done.

The thing is, she simply will not stop making improvements. She was paid a paltry sum long ago, sticking to her initial quote, even after it became apparent that re-coding the site was going to be 10 times more work than she anticipated. She invariably contacts me a couple of times a day and informs me of something new she has developed for the site. She's personable, friendly and easy to talk to even when my ignorance of HTML and SEO attributes are the subject--she's never made me feel uncomfortable when asking questions. I've grown very fond of her.

Hold on; email just arrived from her. I'll get back to you...

Trial by Fire

The new site will be up in a few hours, prolly before you read this, but I gotta tell ya, the last two months of trying to pull this together has been a little bumpy. That the site is up at all is a frickin' miracle.

I made an uninformed decision. And it cost me. This is not real easy to admit, as is often the case when you shoot yourself in the foot. Hindsight being 20/20 is so annoying at times! I had the resources at hand, but my enthusiasm to get the collection in front of people blurred my vision. OCD, ADHD, call it what you will, I lost focus. There was so much going on around building the collection, I had this thought: “Webmasters have been around for decades. Grab one! They are bound to know what they're doing in this day and age, no matter who you tap!” I was given a suggestion, tossed my fate to the wind, and handed my internet personna to someone that simply didn't have a single clue about how to manage their business, considering reality as an index. Basic stuff, right? Integrity, honesty, hard work, blah, blah, blah.... It didn't work out. The Drake Intelligence Group took me for a ride and I took it in the shorts. My bad.

I've known Marc Mintz, the 'Big Cheese' at the MacXperts for over 20 years. He has never once led me to believe he is anything less than an honest person. Nobody, and I mean nobody, touches any of my 4 Macintosh computers but him. I'm thinking it might have been a good idea to consult him prior to embarking on having a website made for me. Ya think? His finger is not in touch with computing, his entire being is ensconced in the digital world. I kinda blew that call, right off the bat, by not contacting him.

A 35+ year friend has invested in this venture. He has acquired several nice pieces from me over the years and has a great deal of faith in my ability to procure high-end merch. He came in with me around the whole website idea and we built the current collection. Pretty respectable if I say so myself; a few museum pieces—nice stuff.

So, I blew the call on getting the website done, some of which my good friend is financially involved in, and it got to the point that I called upon him to protect his investment, by assuming communication responsibilities with the Drakes. Life, being a crap-shoot at best, had landed me with certified sociopaths as webmasters, and my delicate nature and tendency toward honesty was not in line with their agenda. My investor, whom I often refer to as 'Mohandus', was unable to establish meaningful dialogue with them, and like I said previous, “...it cost me.” Boy, did it cost me.

There was a felony committed--computer tampering. Not even kidding. Homeland Security has jurisdiction in that area and I'm not real sure it's a good idea to fuck around with those guys. Doughnuts are a great distraction when facing your inability to embrace integrity. But there's a little insight into what a mess I made concerning acquiring a webmaster. I'm astonished at my decision making process, and am finding it hard to accept that I chose to believe in basic human nature, when all around me have abandoned it, in favor of associating with “can do” people, who have repeatedly proven themselves as trustworthy.

Something amazing happened though. My favorite collector gave my name to an actual professional webmaster of considerable talent and impecable integrity. She sternly took the reigns of the Native Treasures internet presence, and like magic, the website was transformed into a viable, easy to navigate, accessible, and intelligently designed venue for my art collection.

I perform considerable research on all the items represented on the Native Treasures website; take my investigation of their time period and origins, as far as humanly possible. Agreed, my reading list is daunting, but I'm no novice. I just forgot to apply that regimin to a pretty important aspect of doing business.

Oops! Too many balls in the air.

Early 1900s Navajo Turquoise Ring

When you wear a ring you seldom notice it. It becomes part of your hand after a while, and after 3 years you only hold it up for inspection when someone comments on it, and even then you're not looking at it—you're showing it to them.

A Frisbee got hooked on my ring the other day causing a tiny skin break where the shank meets my finger. The ring was irritating the injury so I took it off. I wanted to let my finger heal unmolested. This gave me an opportunity to really examine it for the first time in a couple of years, and remember why I chose it as my personal ring to begin with.

I found it in a cigar box at a garage sale, cleverly concealed as junk, as it was among paper clips, empty pens, spools of thread and whatever else the seller had deemed “crap” and decided to toss in a box—a little family of junk that he was sure no one would be interested in.

After wearing it for a year, one end of the shank popped loose from the back. The repair shop I frequent gets work from around the world. They stay very busy, have several talented Native American artisans on staff, and the work they do is superior. I left the ring in their care, got my ticket and a promise that they'd get around to it within the next 30 days.

When I retrieved the ring I was aghast. The ring was made around 1900 using blacksmithing tools, and had incredible age patina which is something I like on my sterling pieces—it gives them a lived in/loved look. They had polished every aspect of the ring—it looked like it had just come out of the artisans shop.

But that's not the worst of it; they had re-soldered the shank onto the ring 180 degrees out, so the triangle stone was now pointing sideways—not the original design. I was heartbroken. After some bickering I had them put the shank back correctly and inquired as to why they had polished it against my strict instructions. As it turns out, the sterling had been soldered with copper solder, which is not nearly as stable as sterling solder, and once they started working on the shank repair, which entails removing the stone prior to heating the ring, they put the torch to it and it simply fell apart—the copper solder couldn't handle it and it all just let go.

They did a great job of putting it back together, but in order for solder to work correctly, it must be applied to a 100% clean surface, hence the polishing. In my eyes the ring had lost considerable value in it's trip to the repair shop, but I got over it. It's my personal ring, I had no intention of ever selling it due to it's antique nature, amazing Cerrillos mine stone (the mine has been closed for decades) and it's unique design. So I just popped it back on my finger and went about my business.

Here it is a couple of years later, the ring never leaves my finger and it's patina has returned.

There is a ring museum in Las Cruces, New Mexico, run by a rather crusty collector. His collection is outstanding with his focus being on rings made prior to 1930. I offer him rings regularly and I think he's acquired two in the many years we have known each other. On my last visit he finally noticed my ring and was very interested in having it for his collection. I informed him it wasn't for sale and he proceeded to offer me $550 for it. I passed.

I have been encouraged to start a personal collection; pieces I know have significant historical value like this ceremonial buckle by noted Hopi artisan Michael Kabotie or this CG Wallace inspired Zuni Ranger set, that are so beautifully designed and crafted, that I will certainly never see another. Sadly, this is often the case concerning the pieces I offer on the Native Treasures website. At 10 years of study, honing my skills of acquisition and establishing a network of suppliers, I've kept the pieces moving, placing 100s of items in important collections and supplying a few dealers with goods.

I examined the movement thing a while back, and asked myself, “Where's YOUR collection?” I realized I am more interested in acquisition, for the fact that I get to see more and better items that inspire me to raise the bar. And to keep this happening I need funds. I get those funds by moving the gear. I have the pieces for a while, absorb their artistry, and pass them along so I can go do it again.

I have affectively started my collection with this ring. Agreed, it's just a ring, but it's a nice start.

Off Topic

Yup. It's another cute cat picture. Sorry.

This is Chopper. Some kid moved into my courtyard, got him as a kitten, and proceeded to neglect him. He'd leave him locked up in the apartment, alone, for days with nothing but a huge bowl of dry cat food and a bucket of water. Chopper would sit in the window all day screaming to get out.

I'm the self-appointed gardener of the courtyard and when watering I would spray the window where Chopper was sitting. It freaked him out a bit the first couple of times, but he realized he wasn't going to get wet, and took to sitting there while I sprayed the window.

The kid would take the overflowing cat box into the private courtyard behind his place, and just dump it on the ground. This got the landlord excited and Chopper was evicted. The landlord didn't know what the cat looked like, had only seen the cat box evidence, so the kid just kinda kicked Chopper out. He hung around and got fed once in a while when the kid would make a rare appearance at his apartment, so I picked up the slack and fed him regularly.

This led to Chopper hanging with me a lot. He'd follow me around when I was watering, and due to the window spraying, he had little to no fear of water, and would stand inches away from the spray as I watered, whereas the numerous cats that occupy the courtyard would maintain a considerable distance.

I talked to the kid one evening and expressed my concern over Chopper's well being; asked if he had plans to place him with someone. He had none--had opted to let Chopper fend for himself. Chopper, being very young, was learning the ropes when it came to dealing with the adult cats in the courtyard. He got his butt kicked regularly and had no chance of respite cuz the poor guy didn't have anywhere where he could escape their advances. I bit the bullet, bought a case of cat food, and moved him in.

I don't do cat boxes. Chopper's been with me for a couple of weeks now and he is real good about going outside to do his business. The one drawback is that he has chosen to perform this task at 4am on the dot. He employs his "outside voice" in order to wake me to let him out. I don't really mind, I like getting up early, and he's such a sweetheart I seldom scold him for doing so.

Considering adding him to the "About Us" page on the website as the company mascot. But then Chantal would insist on equal billing for her pitbull cross.

I had no part in naming him.