I’m on board with both of you. It provides such a neat, fine look and I love how shallow it is. Thank you for pointing it out, Mike.
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I really don’t have much to add here, except that I enjoy learning from y’all. I will say that I think whether we like the placement of turquoise stones on buckles or not is a personal preference. @Ravenscry of the two you posted as examples that you’re not fond of, I really like the stones and their placement on the first buckle, not so much on the second mostly because I think they’re too big for the buckle. What I don’t prefer is when the stones are on ends of silver sticking out, because all I can think of is a snail’s eyestalks, but that is COMPLETELY and totally a personal preference.
@OrbitOrange the greasy green stone in particular reminds me of turquoise that was in my mom’s old (now broken) earrings from the ‘40s. When I asked on here what mine they could possibly be from, Jason felt maybe Fox, but due to the color change from their age it is too hard to say (I’m not saying yours are Fox turquoise, just that mine have a mix of blue with one really green one, and he thought it could still possibly be from the same mine, but no way to know) .
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This is easily understood! Personally, while I think it’s neat and a bit different, I wouldn’t pay the $2,000-$4,000+ that I’ve seen similar lone buckles sell for. I’ve always thought they looked fragile and easily damaged.
Beauty is no doubt in the eye of the beholder. I know that not very many feel the same about what I’m passionate about, but hey, in lies the interesting. 
Because we’re on the subject, and for anyone that’s not already seen these, here are a few earlier Zuni buckles.
This one’s pretty wild. During a discussion with @TAH, he shared this photo from a book he’d found, and we were discussing buckle c…
Some time latter, while speaking with a gallery owner, they shared this crazy cast buckle. The similarities between this one and the published example are uncanny. There’s a bit too much going on here for me, but talk about openwork! And speaking of fragility, the third arm down on the left had been broken off. I also noted that the bezel on the stone in the bottom right corner of the opening is worn clean through! 
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I don’t think I’d have to worry about that anyway 
Actually I mostly notice it when it’s just two of them sticking up on the top corners. Like it’s looking at me 
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I’ve managed to stumble across a couple buckles recently. Being inspired by @TAH to find a Phase 3 concho converted to a buckle, similar to his masterpiece crafted by Hosteen Goodluck, I thought this one was tastefully done. I really like the stampwork and I thought the stone was pretty. It’s got a beautiful, dark color, as well. In the second photo, there are some evident cracks in one of the radiating repoussé elements, as well as on the area between these and the border, which I love to see. There’s also what appears to be a layout line scribed at the outside of the repoussé, just above these cracks. On the back, one can just barely make out the remnants of where the strap was originally soldered in place, speaking to this buckle’s former life as a concho. I can only imagine what the rest of the belt looked like. I perceive all of these things as stories written in silverwork, and I thoroughly enjoy the read. I also got a kick out of the trader’s code engraved on the back: the last two letters are my initials. I had a vintage tooled leather belt hanging around that I thought paired well with it.
Navajo, 3 1/4” x 3”, 73 grams, #8 Turquoise, ca. 1940’s
I just thought this one was a bit unique and that it could have just as easily ended up being a ketoh. I liked the stampwork, as well as the shape and placement of the stones. An old tooled Mexican leather belt I had was a great compliment to it, I felt.
Navajo, 3 1/2” x 2 1/2”, 70 grams, ca. 1940’s-1950’s
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Great buckles. You can sure find the treasures. The second is a real killer.
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Aaron, these are both spectacular examples of Navajo hand-worked silver from the classic period! Both were obviously crafted by master silversmiths who were on the heels of Hosteen Goodluck. The layout, stamp/repousse work, and stones are all top tier and not overdone. The belts you paired them with are perfect and further enhance their beauty. Congratulations on these new additions to your collection!
Oh, as we have discussed in the past on how conchos were removed from belts and used as payments for goods and services, it’s pretty obvious those last two letters in the trader’s code are not your initials. That concho was pawned and held as collateral to satisfy any outstanding “Accounts Payable”.
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Well, those 2 are real stunners! Even the turquoise stones are gorgeous! You have excellent taste in buckles.
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Thank you Steve. While these are both a bit later in vintage than what I really (attempt to) focus on, I thought they were well thought out and crafted with care.
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Thank you for your kind words, Tom. I had the same thoughts concerning the execution of both buckles. I lucked out on having those two belts…that actually fit the buckles. The leather that’s been paired with the ketoh buckle was one my grandfather got on a camping trip in Mexico in the 50’s.
Of course! What was I thinking!
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Thank you @Phoenix7, you’re too kind. I think it can be somewhat difficult to find unique examples, but it’s always nice finding something that trips your trigger.
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That makes it even more special! The oval tooling on the belt is a perfect match with the central oval stamp work on the buckle. They look like they were made for each other!
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These are great, Aaron. I especially like the rectangular buckle with what looks like beautifully cut natural Persian or (or possibly Kingman) cabs.
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Thank you, Mike. What do you make of the “rope” border stamping on the concho buckle? Do you see multiple stamps? I was also curious as to your thoughts on the stamps surrounding/embellishing the central stone on the rectangular buckle.
I can provide better photos, but the rectangular buckle’s stones do have a fair amount of what looks to be pyrite. I thought the faint webbing in the central stone was pretty.
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Looks like a single stamp to me, Aaron. The stamps on both these buckles are absolutely terrific. Great examples of the kind of extreme attention to detail and craftsmanship one rarely sees in the stamps used in more modern works. I’ve seen Persian with this kind of Pyrite inclusions, but the webbing looks more like Kingman to me. That high domed cut looks like it was done in Idar Oberstein.
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Thank you, Mike, for your valued insight. 
This is interesting. You must forgive my ignorance but I think it’s pretty amazing that you can look at the cut of a stone and speak to it’s regional ties and/or influences, that’s fascinating! I suppose it’s akin to drawing similar conclusions with any form of art. I lack any and all knowledge concerning gemstones so I found that intriguing. Thanks again, Mike!
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Long ago, pre-Ayatollah, through the trading company I worked for at the time, I worked on the road selling Persian Turquoise from the Levian family of Iran. A great deal of the material I carried, while mined in Iran, was cut in Idar Oberstein Germany. The turquoise in your buckle has the same characteristic template cut shape and dome one sees in material cut in Idar Oberstein. I was fortunate enough to meet the Levian Patriarch when he came to Gallup to meet with my employers, and worked mostly with his son Larry, who is the same Levian behind the branded “LeVian” fine jewelry lines, and “Chocolate Diamonds”.
If the material is indeed Persian, the birds eye webbing is really unusual!
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These are beautiful!
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That’s amazing! I see this post was from 2024 but I just saw it. 
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