The mark on the naja of my squash blossom necklace reads /PZ, with the Z directly under the P.
I have found two rings with this mark online but no one can identify the maker. Any thoughts?
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@Waboo Hi ~ I checked my Hougart’s book on Native American/Southwestern Silver Hallmarks but, there’s no listing for a “PZ” hallmark. I’ve seen the stamp “IHMSS” (Indian Hand Made Sterling Silver) before but, I haven’t seen “NHMSS”. So, that’s a bit of a mystery to me. Hopefully, others will chime in with some info.
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Would you be able to share a bit about yourself (since your public profile here is hidden), and how you acquired this squash? Did whoever you purchased it from give you any info?
I was thinking we had come across a similar mark on this site in the past, but I used the search icon and couldn’t find anything.
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NHMSS is not a listed recognized acronym in Hougarts 5th edition
ATADA Authentic Tribal Art Dealers Association
BIA Bureau of Indian Affairs
FTC Federal Trade Commission
HMIJ Hand Made Indian Jewelry
IACB Indian Arts and Crafts Board
IHMS Indian Hand Made Silver
IHM S/S Indian Hand Made Sterling Silver
MOMA Museum of Modern Art
NACE Navajo Arts and Crafts Enterprise
NARA National Archives and Records Administration
OEO Office of Equal Opportunity
SAR School for Advanced Research
SWAIA Southwestern Association for Indian Arts
UITA United Indian Traders Association
USDI U. S. Department of the Interior
ZCCA Zuni Craftsmen Cooperative Association
1 artist stamped his work like this which is no match
and then there is this importantness found floating out on the web
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The (N)avajo HMSS mark is listed on some sites but I don’t know much about this sort of jewelry. A post I found on on this site from 2018 says it is legit. I have found two rings online with the /PZ mark.
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I found it for free at a roadside sale of a deceased person’s belongings; no info or interest. I was familiar with this type of jewelry because my sister-in-law makes southwestern jewelry. I have found two different rings online with the /PZ mark. Your site mentions this mark here: Identification and value of a squash blossom necklace
I know eBay is not a reliable source but this is all I could find.
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@Waboo I just searched the forum, for NHMSS, and see 2 comments where the “N” was stated to stand for Navajo. Honestly, I don’t have a way to verify that but thank you for sharing where you got the info.
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I have found it in several places online but know that doesn’t mean much.Well have to see if I can find those sites again. I don’t know what type of turquoise this is but the beads and naja do not react to a magnet.
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Got it. I meant I tried to look up PZ. Impossible to know exactly where the turquoise came from without provenance.
You might try contacting Medicine Man Gallery in Tucson to see if they have seen these marks; I’ve heard they’ve been very helpful for people in the past.
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So I guess you are saying it is not Navajo made, or authentic? I wanted to sell it but have no idea what it would be worth, or what to ask for it, or where I should go to sell it, for that matter.
What would you suggest that I do?
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Thank you. Do you have any idea what kind of turquoise this might be? It is really pretty color.
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Sorry, no guesses from me.
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there is obvious history of other items marked “NHMSS” but what is elusive is solid details as to who or what is the source.
numerous different artist initials are also found on these pieces which are simple block letter stamps which are sometimes difficult to attribute.
it is possible this was some type of jobber shop or wholesaler but again there is no definitive information to reference.
I have suggested in the past to send photos to several auction houses for evaluation to see if there is interest in adding your squash to an upcoming auction catalog.
the link below will take you there
https://forum.turquoisepeople.com/t/squash-blossom-value/13065/3?u=steve
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FWIW, NHMSS is most likely a shop hallmark, similar to IHMSS (Indian Hammers, Gallup, or Indian Hand Made Sterling Silver). The squash itself is a production piece, where numerous items are made in the same basic pattern, in a workshop environment or at home as a piecework order.
In many cases, more than one silversmith has been given the same pattern to make, so you may see several different hallmarks on substantially similar items with the same shop mark. Many of the silversmiths employed at the time the squash was made were in the trade opportunistically for a relatively short time rather than as a long term endeavor, so lots of the names associated are hard or impossible to track down.
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Thank you for this. It helps me to understand the process. I guess I still don’t know though if/how it affects the value of it, or whether it is considered a fake. I am a real rube on these things.
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@Waboo Hi ~ just my 2 cents here. I’m not an appraiser so I can’t speak to the value of your squash blossom necklace. However, I wouldn’t consider it a fake. The turquoise looks like the real deal, imo. And, the “SS” in NHMSS most likely does reference Sterling Silver. If the hallmark cannot be identified, and that’s a possibility, I’d simply refer to it as a Southwestern squash blossom necklace.
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This is helpful and that is how I will list it. The color of the turquoise is much prettier than the picture shows. Thank you!
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Thanks, Steve. Will do.
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Shop work is not “fake,” it just does not have the same quality or collectability of a piece hand crafted by a single artisan. Think of it as entry-level NA jewelry.
@Ziacat just a quick correction, Medicine Man is is Tuscon.
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Of course you are correct. That’s why I’ve never been there. I don’t get to Tucson very often 
(went back and corrected).
I’m with @Patina on this. I think without knowing who made it that it should probably be listed as a southwest style squash with an unknown hallmark since it wasn’t purchased from a trusted shop that knew if it’s Navajo made.
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