I’m so happy with my new Hopi pin. It’s beautifully made and, one of the nicer sunfaces that I’ve seen. A little less than 2" in diameter. The pin has 2 pictograph hallmarks: The 4-point star with a crescent moon below for Billy Ray Hawee (Hopi) and the other is a Hopi Guild mark. Hougart’s 3rd edition hallmarks book indicates Mr. Hawee was active 1950s to 1980. (He passed in 1980.)
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Our daughter would be all over this piece, Patina. Beautifully done! I can see why you’re happy. I’m guessing its 2" in diameter, not circumference, or that would be a really tiny pin. 
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@TAH Thanks! Yes, diameter, lol. Your daughter has excellent taste as I’ve seen from recent purchases you posted.
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That is a stunner for sure. I especially like how the textured background is gracefully etched to extend the radiance of those precision-cut, feather-like sun rays.
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You have such superb taste! Gorgeous pin and you are so correct, beautiful condition for it’s age! I’ve see so many surface pin/pendents, but this is the nicest one I can remember. I want it (Ha)
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Interesting— he has the same exact mark as Augustine Mowa. The Hopi Guild is what would set their marks apart.
@AZBoots Hi ~ Based on your post, I double-checked my Hougart’s 3rd edition hallmarks book just to make sure I had correctly identified the hallmarks on my pin. Augustine Mowa Jr uses a 4-point star & crescent moon in his hallmark, but the symbols are positioned differently than Mr. Hawee’s. Mowa also includes a sun symbol in his hallmark.
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@Bmpdvm Thanks! I’ve worn this pin every day since it arrived. That’s a bit unusual for me since I change up my NA jewelry daily. I don’t often wear any piece for an extended period of time. I don’t want to take off this pin 
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It is fabulous! What a beautiful piece of work.
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OK @Patina, I certainly don’t mean to confuse this hallmark issue any more, but I was looking in “Hopi Silver” at hallmarks and found this for Stetson Lomayesteva. I checked Hougarts too, and the mark looks exactly the same as Billy Rays. Nothing is said about the Hopi Guild mark, so I’m pretty sure yours is by Billy Ray. But it just goes to show that hallmarks can be more than a bit confusing. By the way, “Hopi Silver” has acouple pages with pieces by Billy Ray…a couple gorgeous cuffs! If you don’t have the book, you might want to pick it up😄
And…Stetson only started producing in1980 so would not have used the Guild hallmark.
I’ve got to go to bed…sometimes I get a second wind after 11:00 pm!
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@Bmpdvm Hi ~ We are in CA right now so I don’t have my Hougart’s 3rd edition NA hallmarks book with me. Otherwise, I could upload Billy Ray Hawee’s hallmark. The symbols used by both Hopi artists, a 4-point star & crescent moon, are the same. However, Mr. Hawee’s hallmark shows the crescent moon (on its back) directly below the star. I feel this arrangement is an important identifier. I agree hallmarks can be confusing especially when similar elements or symbols are used by multiple artists.
I totally forgot the Mowa mark has a sun, too. I just took a good look at his ring I have.
Hope you enjoy CA, that’s where I spent the first 65 years of my life. Sorry it is so hot!!! It is a pretty state if you stay away from the congested areas. We moved to get away from the costs, traffic, taxes and other issues, but loved it previously.
The 2 Hallmarks are so similar, depending on how the stamp was applied it could be confusing! It’s interesting that, according to “Hopi Silver” by Margaret Wright, Billy Ray died in 1980, and Stetson didn’t start working with silver until 1983.
Anyway, enjoy CA and your wonderful pin!
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