Navajo or Zuni

I posted this cuff quite a while ago under matching finds. But I am curious about whether it’s Zuni or Navajo. I bought it back in the mid-90s at a little shop in Kanab that had some nice pawn, and I just assumed it was Zuni because I didn’t know a lot then. I think the owner said he wasn’t sure if it was Zuni or Navajo. Now I am wondering. No hallmark on it, so I can’t check out an artist. I then found a matching ring a couple years later in Springdale, UT, also no hallmark.



Any thoughts appreciated.

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Frontier Plunder? That is a fun shop!

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No, but I went in there last time and bought an awesome older Zuni butterfly ring; it is a cool shop. I bought the ring that matches the cuff at Zion Tribal Arts.

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I vote Zuni inlay, possibly collab with a Navajo smith. It has that look of the 70s pieces in the Zuni Art and People books. I need to get into my library and look and see if I can find something is like this.

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Wow that’s huge! Is it heavy?

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Hope this isn’t rude like I’m hijacking thread :confounded: but since you asked Navajo or Zuni I’m wondering about my necklace. Any thoughts? Only marking is REXX (?) shop code?



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Thanks! I thought Zuni also, but I just don’t know enough. Here’s a pic of the ring if that helps. I don’t know for a fact that they’re by the same artist, but, boy, they look so much alike, and I got them both in southwestern UT a few years apart. I can’t remember what the shop owner said about the ring, except it seems like she thought it was Navajo. But then she thought my cuff by Dino Garcia was Hopi, and it’s not, so there is that.

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No, it’s not really overly heavy. I wouldn’t call it light, but it fits my wrist so well it’s amazing. My husband pointed it out in the case at this little shop in Kanab, and I thought, “there’s no way that’ll fit,” looking at it from the top. But when you hold it, it curves around and fits really closely, and I have about a 6" wrist.


I really got it for a steal; I’ve had it (very generally) appraised since.

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Gorgeous! I wouldn’t be sure of which it is either. And no, it’s not hijacking; I would like to know more about the difference between pieces that look like they could be either Zuni or Navajo. I have had several pieces posted on here that I had the same question. I’ll probably just never know for sure.

Posts on this site in the past made me wonder if the thickness of the silver on this cuff would suggest it could be Navajo.

I feel like I’ve seen REXX somewhere before. But maybe I’m only thinking of Jurassic Park :crazy_face:

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I Googled REXX Native American artist, and this came up. I don’t know that this means anything because it’s on Pinterest, and when I clicked on it, it said error. Curious.

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The bracelet is Navajo made, those inlay pieces are the 1980s version of this

The necklace is Zuni made most likely and the REXX is a code for cost, $32.

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Thanks Jason! So does that mean the artist probably bought those ovals pre-made and then put them in the cuff? Would the ovals even be American made? Ugh. I just hope they weren’t made in China. But I didn’t pay a ridiculous amount for it.

Years ago when Tobe Turpens used to bring pawn jewelery to the Eiteljorg Art Market, I had the gentleman look at it (I needed to insure it because I was mailing it out to have a stone fixed), and he valued it for much more than I bought it for at least.

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I would guess imported, probably not China. Your necklace is worth much more than that code :slight_smile:

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$32 :weary: Any guesses when necklace was made?

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Thanks again. I paid about 100.00 for the cuff back in the 90’s. And one more question if you have time, would then the turquoise be block or at least stabilized? :weary:

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Next to the picture that Jason posted above it said the bracelet stones were the 1980’s version. Based on that I’d say 1980’s.

I think he might have only been referring to my cuff being from the '80s. I don’t know if he thought her necklace was from the '80s. It’s confusing cause we had two things posted with the same question.

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Thanks for reminding me I didn’t go all the way back up and I had forgotten about her having a necklace in this post. I remember seeing it now that you said it but I had forgotten.
Now if you’re not doing anything why don’t you help me figure out about that necklace and cuff that I just posted. The one supposedly by Verna Blackgoat with hallmarks that don’t match. I know that’s what you want to do on a Friday night. Lol

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I prob wouldn’t have any more luck than you did! The only book I have is about Hopi hallmarks. Otherwise I just Google. :grin: I’m still hoping somebody can find N Preston somewhere (from another post)…

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Sorry I hijacked thread w/my necklace!

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