Any ideas of the maker, age, value of this inlay belt buckle?
I have searched tirelessly to identify the hallmark but with no luck. I found one similar on ebay but the description had no info.
Also, what type of turquoise? …is the surrounding inlay pyrite?
So glad I stumbled across this forum. I’ve been reading others posts for the last couple days. Lots of great people and info!
Thanks so much for any and all help!
Much love 
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In Hougart’s book he references a Kay Johnson that uses a broken arrow like the one on your buckle. You might research that name. Also, have you tested the buckle as silver?
Have you tried the hot pin test on the turquoise? This looks like a composite to me.
Thank you! I saw Kay Johnson’s hallmark in my research. I wondered if this could be an earlier version of his hallmark. Do artists ever change their hallmark?
I haven’t tried that JW. Wasn’t sure how to test it. Thanks!
I was a little suspicious that it might not be real turquoise. Some of the pieces have tiny hairline cracks.
I preformed a hot pin test twice on this and it left no marks on the turquoise. The pin was glowing red when I pressed it against the stone.
Any ideas of its possible value??
Also…my pictures aren’t the greatest but it appears the matrix has pyrite deposits. When I run my fingernail across the matrix it feels rough, not smooth.
I’m interested to hear opinions on this piece also. To my non-professional eye, it looks like legit (and beautiful blue) turquoise pieces, and legit pyrite pieces, suspended in a black epoxy/resin and then cabbed, with some smaller turq and pyrite particles blended into the epoxy. The shapes and edges of the larger pieces just don’t look to me like they grew that way in the ground. It reminds me of chip inlay, but with enormous chips.
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Yes. This is not “a” piece of turquoise but rather chips of something. Whatever that blackish medium is around the turquoise-colored material, it’s not matrix, as the word is used with regard to mined turquoise. Perhaps one could describe this as a very coarse version of chip inlay technique–not definitely Native American until more is known about it.
Also, Jason’s question above about whether it’s been tested as silver is worth pursuing.
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