I know that fetish necklaces are often faked. Is this true Jackla necklaces as well? Beyond going with a seller that you trust is there anything you look for when evaluating them?
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Yes, there’s a ton of not-real-turquoise jacla necklaces, with the use of block and highly processed heishi. To get a handle on this, it helps to see good material in person, to have a library of books, auction catalogues, and magazines for visual reference, know the reliable online sellers, and the ability to detect handmade from machined. I would guess, though, that there are far more imported fake fetish necklaces than jacla types simply because the first category had a huge popularity and the other didn’t.
Websites with high-end NA jewelry often have good jacla necklaces to study. Try Shiprock Santa Fe, Garland’s, Vicki Turbeville, etc.
If you have no print resources at home already, try to get a hold of the old Arizona Highways issues that featured turquoise. Also a classic book with great pics; one I recommend is Skystone and Silver (vintage book). My library is very expansive, but I did start with basics.
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Thanks for the response! My main reference is Paula Baxters book on Pueblo beading. I’ll look into others on your recommendation
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