any backstory?
some clues might help
Not a clue Steve, i got it in a trade with no story
Looks like a quail? I couldn’t find it. I may be wrong, but it’s not giving Native American Jewelry vibes to me. Maybe anglo made?
Whoever may have made it, this doesn’t look like native work. Symmetry in like sized even numbers of elements placed around corners with even numbers of like sized fan elements in between looks far more like a European aesthetic. I would be very surprised if this hallmark is associated with a Native American maker.
ETA: Looks like @Ziacat was responding nearly simultaneously with the same thought. Great minds
I get both, mexico and native vibes. Just cant figure out and have been searching everywhere
Thank you for your input
I appreciate your input. Without knowing hallmark i cant rule out native, but lean more towards mexico at this point. European is definitely a new avenue i should check. Thats why i created this post. Im trying like heck to get some type of dialogue going for everyones input. Thank you for your opinion i appreciate it
Well, that’s awfully kind of you You explain it so well, and I’m just like, “I’ve got a gut feeling…”
I’m feeling Mexican from it. Reminds me of something Mayan style I’ve seen on trips there.
can you post a picture of the full back
A couple of words of advice from someone long in the industry, @degrepo. First the positive. The real value in this piece is the stone, which is really something.
To say the setting surrounding the stone is not from a practiced hand would be generous. This is the work of an amateur, and It’s unlikely whoever made this will have stuck around the craft long enough to have developed the requisite skillset to become a known, or sought after artist.
If other pieces with the same hallmark do turn up, which is possible, its unlikely to lead to a known maker, or a body of work, and I don’t think you’re going to see a marked improvement in the nature or quality of the workmanship.
What you can get in terms of value: Once again, the stone in this piece is what will be sought after. If a dealer or broker purchases this piece, they’ll likely offer market price for the overall weight in silver value, pull out the stone (which is the real prize), and scrap the silver work.
Thank you for your insight; I appreciate the time you’ve taken to consider my post mmrogers. As a curator and collector of antique and vintage Native American jewelry for over 30 years, I find this piece intriguing. After a roundtable discussion with our historian and experts in the field of Native American jewelry, we all concluded that it is most likely from Mexico. Posting to this discussion site was a last-ditch effort. I have a friend who also has a piece with the same hallmark; however, the stylization in her piece is much more Native than Mexican compared to mine. I couldn’t agree more that the stone is where the value lies; however, I believe the complete body of work, although crude and non-symmetrical, is absolutely beautiful. Again, thank you for your input; it’s valuable to receive another expert’s opinion. I will post more about lesser-known Native American related hallmarks when I can, and would love to get your thoughts on them.
Interesting. Thank you for that bit of background @degrepo. What group or organization do you represent? Perhaps some of our members are familiar with your work, and activities. Are you here in the US or elsewhere in the world? Please expand!
Not real good at image stuff but reversed color to highlight the letters/numbers above quail mark - Gets bigger when clicking on. Hope this helps
another clue presents itself. any chance of seeing pictures of this piece?