Dear Turquoise People, thank you so much for creating this wonderful site. Sometimes, in spite of signature, it’s not easy to identify a piece. I have a ring which appears to have 2 different signatures. Is it possible? Why wd it happen? There is very clear, large O D and Sterling, as well as a large B and remains of another name with the end NELRY with a pictorial sign next to it. I’ll be most grateful for any help in ascribing this ring. Photos attached. The other, oval ring unfortunately unmarked apart from Sterling, but I’d love to know what type of turquoise isit?
Thank you Jason, indeed, a lot of marks and difficult to see what’s what. The question is if the O D is the maker’s mark (no website quotes such initials) or B is the makr’s mark (which can be by 2 artists but somehow not quite their style at 1st look). Where I am, in Poland, I don’t have any access to books treating on Navajo jewellery therefore I cannot check the initials beyond internet websites. Indeed, very nice rings but both too small for me so I’ll probably sell them, but I still shd like to know what I have. The larger ring came out on the photo blue but it’s a beautiful turquoise green with brown markings, similar to Fox turquoise, while the smaller ring is a deeper blue than on the photo. Shall be very grateful for any further help…
Hi Jason, you are beyond brilliant!.. The markings going down in lines are the same as on the Les Baker shop jewellery, trhen O D will be the artist’s name. Thank you so much!.. I shall write and ask them for help, maybe there is a list of artists he employed and such initials will be known to them. Thank you again for being so helpful. Native American jewellery is truly beautiful, especially if one is not afraid of larger pieces… Million thanks!
Alice, the LB mark and the thunderbird mark are both the shop mark for the Les Baker Shop. If you look closely, “NERY” actually looks like it used to say “JEWELRY,” but the rest of the mark has worn off over time.
Parallel to the “JEWELRY” mark is another mark which appears to say “ER” which I will assume at one point might have read “BAKER” or “LES BAKER.” That would mean that the OD mark is your artist, who would have likely been employed by the Les Baker Shop.
This website, Stagecoach, has a quick history about the LB shop. I would say your rings date from around the 1980’s and contain good turquoise.
Hello Bigbree43, thank you so much for this information. Indeed, I already received one answer with similar data, and you are right, the broken words add up to Les Baker and Jewelry. The Les Baker profile is most interesting, the work of that ring is lovely, and I am only sorry there is still so much to discover about Navajo jewellery, especially as often the work of the artists is not signed, even the very good one. Again, many thanks for taking time to answer my querry.
I shall write and ask them for help, maybe there is a list of artists he employed and such initials will be known to them. Thank you again for being so helpful. Native American jewellery is truly beautiful, especially if one is not afraid of larger pieces… Million thanks!