On the first glimpse going thru the book, I feel it’s very hard to date my belt.
Similar belts have been made in the 1920s to 40s, even 50s.
Then again during the revival, similar ones have starting popping up in the late 1980s up to the 2000s.
We’ll never know what is right or wrong, but as most other items of Neal Paquin are attributed to the 1980s, this would be my wild estimate.
References
- icollector, 1950s/60s - wrong dating?
- etsy, 1980s
- liveauctioneers, 1980s
- metroretrovintage, 1980s
- vermaestatejewelry, 1990s
Also seeing that the hallmark on my belt was added on top of the surface, I believe it’s one of Neal’s very first pieces of silversmith art. The stone on the other side was set, and he didn’t want to risk scratching it by punching in his initials, I guess. Thus, 1980s.
On top, at least up to 2019 (maybe even today), a Native American named Neal Paquin owned a silversmith shop in Santa Fe’s Plaza. That could, maybe, be him too.
Will now start reading the book in a more organized way.