My father gave me this piece years ago. It’s a watchband. I am trying to find out who made this piece and what it may be worth. I’m not an expert in Native American jewelry but based on the limited research I’ve done I think this piece is Navajo.
Welcome to the forum. Yes I would call this Navajo. It is a very nice piece. Watch bracelets were very popular before the cell phone and smart watch. I am not sure what the stone is but it is good looking. The confusion with this piece is the hallmark, doing some research you get the name Gilbert Tyma which is Hopi. You do find Hopi artist that make jewelry in a Navajo style. I couldn’t find much doing a google search. The bracelet is also a 1970s -80s piece which is the boom when a number of people were making jewelry, making initial hallmarks very difficult.
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Thank you for the information Jason.
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Hi Jason, is your thinking that it is by Gilbert Tyma, Hopi, working in the Navajo style? Thank you!
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The hallmarks I came up with are all unknowns, but one source did point to Terry Charlie, Navajo as a possibility but reverse searches reveal that this is probably incorrect. The following pictures are from this website…
I don’t think it is Gilbert Tyma, In Wright’s Hopi book he has him learning at HopiCrafts in 1975. That is going to be overlay style. I think it just happens a Navajo uses a similar hallmark.