If anyone has any information. I can take more photos if necessary. Please help
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Please provide a couple of high quality closeups of the individual conchos and butterflies.This will be very helpful in assessing how the belt was made. Also closeups of as much of the back of the actual concho as you can get in the shot.
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The flash seems to be discokoring the true image into a greenish/gold discoloration.
Thank you for the updated photos, @Brettcanda , My first impression from the original set of photos you posted was that the conchos and butterflies might be die struck. However having had a close up look that does not appear to be the case. Upon examination of the photos of the backs of the conchos I do not see much evidence of “transfer” (impressions left on the back of the belt from hammering the stamp work in on a steel anvil). An absence of significant transfer on the backs of the pieces often points to the conchos being cast reproductions of hand made pieces, rather than being the original works themselves. Normally a Navajo silversmith would not take the extraordinary step of smoothing out the transferred stamp impressions on the back of the pieces, as this just isn’t necessary or desirable in that it removes some of the final weight of the pieces, and represents significantly more processing time in removing the transferred impressions from backs of the individual pieces. It is however something one sees in cast downs from the original works.
Not saying that is absolutely case here. However it is my impression from what I can see in your photos.
It doesn’t look like there are quality markings or hallmarks of any kind on the pieces. I’m going to take a guess here that you don’t have any prove-able provenance for this piece and you are characterizing it as “Navajo” without the benefit of a paper trail which would establish its history from the maker to your hands in the present day.
Best guess is this is a commercially produced, some of a kind belt produced around mid 20th century (give or take a decade or more) for sale to the tourist trade, and not an original Navajo made belt.
Without ironclad provenance I would not take the legal gamble of referring to the belt in any way as “Navajo”. I would also have it tested for silver content. A sterling or coin silver belt strung on leather with this kind of apparent age would almost certainly be heavily oxidized where the silver is in continuous contact with the leather. Definitely not the case here. You really do want to know what the belt is made of for your own purposes, and especially if at some point you want to sell it.
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Thank you I have added more photos. The faint markings on the buckle seem to say “ihbo” TC​
”
Thats how I can best make out the faint marks. Im not familiar with makers marks ever looking this way. Id be surprised if those were marks by the artist or smith. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thankyou!
Your information is fantastic! So impressive. You are correct I do not know the origins of this belt, when characterizing the piece as navajo i should have instead put navajo style, or perhaps native American style. My ignorance on the topic shows, however, I mean no disrespect.
As well i did test the silver content and it was in the low to mid 80% roughly 83/84%
Thank you for posting the additional photos @Brettcanda . It looks like the brackets for mounting the belt to leather are copper, or high copper content as one can see from the heavy green verdigris oxidation where the metal contacts the metal brackets. Coin silver typically has up to 20% copper content, yet I see little to no evidence of contact oxidation of the silver colored metal on the backs of the conchos where it should be if the piece is truly made from sterling or coin silver.
When you say you tested it, what do you mean? Typically a nitric acid test kit on a less visible portion of the backs of the pieces (below the copper, or brass brackets for example) is used to positively identify precious metal content. Do you have such a kit and the training to use it properly?
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Thanks @Steve. Back when (before sharpie markers) it was common practice for resellers to scratch cost codes, and price codes into the backs of pieces like this. This is what it looks like to me.
Interestingly one set of characters was scratched in with a scribe, and the other looks like a vibratory engraver was used. Best guess would be cost or price coding from different merchants at different points in time.
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I used a Thermo Scientific Niton XL2 800 XRF. To test the conchos
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Thank you very much for all of the information. I very much appreciate being able to come here to have access to all of the knowledge that so many of you have on these topics!.
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Welcome to Turquoise People! The more you read on here the more you will learn, and @mmrogers is an expert on silverwork!
I’m curious, are you in Canada?
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Im not in Canada no, nor am I from there. Im a bit north of Los Angeles. The name is missing 1 “aye” from being Canada
Oh duh 
I totally missed that. I love Canada, so I added the letter. Anyway, enjoy the forum!
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You’re welcome. This method, can and does return false positives, and inaccurate readings from time to time. Would still recommend a scratch test with a nitric acid test kit in a discreet area of the backs of one of the conchos to confirm. It sounds like you may be a dealer, and given the potentially treacherous legal framework surrounding articles which are covered under the Federal Indian Arts and Crafts Act, there really isn’t any room for error with an item like this.
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I have an XL3t 900 EPA approved XRF. When I get a reading that does not align with what (based on past experience) I would expect to see in a jewelry piece, that it can be an indicator of an item being plated or surface corrosion is inhibiting an accurate reading.
I would clean a few areas on the back and shoot them again. Although 800 & 830 silver is used, it’s typically not seen in US made jewelry. The exception is that if an item is cast, the silversmith did not have sufficient silver to cast what was needed for the item and needed to add more copper.
Please send a pic of the new analyses.
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