Is it possible it’s Asian? I am not on Facebook, but can view stuff through my hubby’s account. I was looking through a Native American group, and one of the admins posted a link to a Thai guy who does a lot of stuff that looks like Native American (and unfortunately is being sold as such). I tried to find it again and I couldn’t. I agree the stamps individually have a Native look but…when I look at it as whole, it doesn’t look quite right for Native made.
@Emmllleeee, whatever it is, it’s still a really pretty ring! And I think in the end it’s what you said, the value is in the eye of the beholder. You may never find something exactly like it; and that’s a good thing - it’s unique! And I think the turquoise is very pretty.
I’ve also seen some of Thai copies, and they are dead-on ringers for NA in many cases, which is a bit scary. Excellent work in their own right but need to be labeled as such.
@Ziacat and @Xtina. I’d love to get more information about the Thai produced Native American jewelry. If you or anyone has access to any articles or links, please share them with us.
I’m thinking the central turquoise fell out and the coral was substituted. I’ve seen those rosettes on alibaba, where else? It’s a style I don’t recognize as art nouveau, art deco or Victorian, but it sure has lovely turquoise stones. Not Native American. A studio piece?
Thanks @Jemez2, unfortunately I deleted my Facebook account many years ago after my info was hijacked twice into another language. Really difficult to change the language back to English when everything was in Chinese (I think). Another individual opened a page through my account and was selling drones! I was getting emails asking questions about the drones. I contacted FB twice asking for help with correcting the issue; no response! Anyway, I gave up and was so frustrated I haven’t rejoined. I miss several FB groups on NA jewelry and pottery, and was so happy when I found this group😊. If I do rejoin, it will be under a new email address.
But, thanks so much for the links!
@Bmpdvm I only have information that a trusted seller that I deal with at the beach who used to deal almost exclusively in Native American Jewelry showed me. Years ago, he traveled out west frequently and had a good supply of the authentic stuff; however, over the years, he said that for his customer base of casual vacation jewelry buyers, they weren’t willing to pay the prices that NA jewelry cost as prices have gone up (for reference, he has a long-running established shop in an equally long-running flea market grounds). He has started dealing with a Thai artist in recent years who is admittedly amazing…I’ve bought some of this guy’s Thai-themed pieces because his work is excellent. This seller spent a good amount of time looking through pieces with me and showing me how closely this man can imitate Native American Jewelry. Thankfully, this seller is honest and tells people that it is not Native made, but he could easily get away with it because the work is dead on. Next time I’m there, I will take some pictures so you can look at the comparisons, but it’s easy to see why Asian knockoffs pass easily for native work.
Again, Thanks @Xtina! Your firsthand experience is important. We all depend so much on hallmarks, these pieces signed? I’ve certainly heard of these fakes, but your information adds a scary element to buying. At this point I’m buying mostly directly from the artist, but always hard to pass up an amazing piece on the secondary market.
Thanks for the information.
@Bmpdvm no, they are not signed and that is something to note; however, we have numerous examples through this website of knock-offs that have some kind of stamp on the back. This is one particular artist who does not sign his work, but this may not be indicative of most artists who do copywork of Native American jewelry.
It certainly does add an element of risk to buying, but I guess we can only do the best we can do with the information we are given. Just talking to sellers can give you a good idea of what they know or don’t know. I certainly don’t claim to know everything about Native American or turquoise jewelry, but through this group, I apparently know a lot more than many sellers that I have encountered. If someone can’t answer questions correctly, and seems like they’re evading answering something I ask, I do not buy from them. I realize this doesn’t cut out everyone that’s fraudulent, but it saved my butt quite a number of times. I agree with you that maybe buying directly from the artist is the best way, but for myself, I don’t often have the luxury of buying directly from the artist. I do enjoy going into Thrift and pawn shops and looking for things that are native that someone missed; thankfully, I have developed a good enough eye where I feel like I’m probably coming out with the real deal enough of the time; or I have spent little enough money that it didn’t matter for me if I didn’t. Funny enough because I am one that always shops sale racks in department stores, I have a pretty good eye for designer clothing also. Hahaha.
Hopefully this helps a little bit, but I wish I had a broader base of information to share with you!
Absolutely helps @Xtina! I also enjoy looking for wonderful pieces at antique shows or flea markets. You are correct that if you know what you are looking for, you can find wonderful deals. Or if you really like it and it’s a great price, like you, I can’t help but to buy it. Though as I’m getting older I’m buying less and enjoy purchasing directly from an artist when I can.
Thanks again; great information!
If there’s one thing I’m enjoying about having a little bit more money to spend on things like jewelry, I can afford to be a little bit more picky about who and where I buy. You are absolutely right that is better to buy less and be choosier. I definitely have some things in my collection that I would like to sell because they were mistakes for me to buy in the first place.