Thinking this might help with understanding what rings look like before the casting marks are removed.
How to recognize the difference between cast and stamped items.
And, just for fun, some cabochons from the 1980’s.
Everything. All purchased from Thunderbird Supply, Gallup, NM in about 1986.
What a wonderfully informative post, @fernwood ! I’ve never seen these components before; it’s all intensely interesting. Nice to have a bit of chronological spread on the info, too. I really appreciate the thought, care and time you put into these photos and the accompanying text — thank you!
Adding a close up of the settings. I think I read somewhere here that Native jewelry usually did not include round embellishments.
These settings were made by Navajo’s in the workshop at Thunderbird. Or at least that was what we were told by Thunderbird.
At the time, I was also purchasing items to make jewelry for where I worked. Was given a tour of the workshop.
I remember seeing lots of jewelry being sold at the Gallup flea market and on the overlooks at Canyon de Chelly by Navajo’s. Many items used these or similar settings.