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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.