I have a pipestone and turquoise heishi necklace that I’ve been unable to identify the hallmark on and I’m hoping someone will be able to help. It is three rain clouds that wrap around the cone thus multiple pictures. I will appreciate your help.
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I’m thinking that is not a hallmark? I have a Navajo necklace at home that I think has those, but I’m not sure; I’ll check in a bit when I get home.
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The Art-Amerindien site shows that mark to be by Joe Tortalita,
Kewa.
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That looks good! I must be remembering wrong.
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Wondered about that, but this has three of them on it like it is one hallmark. The center is high with a lower one on each side. Then elsewhere someone said that this is just a common stamp on that particular type of cone. So now I’m not at all certain. It may just be the cones. A third person said a shop mark. 
I look for the different areas. His mark has small triangles between the rain and cloud indicating (to me) tool marks in making the stamp. Your cones look to have the same marks.
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I still can’t say for sure, but I think it’s a shop mark on a standard cone. I couldn’t get a very good picture of mine; it does have six little marks under the cloud shape (I think I only showed five in the photo) and there’s three of them like yours. It says sterling below. I’m also attaching a photo of the necklace, because my necklace I believe is Navajo, not Santo Domingo (I’m assuming yours is SD), which would mean it’s not an artist hallmark. I don’t know where the receipt is, but I bought it at Bryce Canyon National Park gift shop, and I’m pretty sure it said Navajo turquoise nugget necklace (or something like that).
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@Islandmomma Oh, I like your necklace. Pipestone is a favorite of mine. I have 3 Zuni carved Pipestone fetishes: 2 badgers & 1 fox. I didn’t locate this specific cloud hallmark in my Hougart’s 3rd edition hallmarks book.
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I initially thought the same as @Ziacat…I could swear I have some cones stamped with this pattern, but maybe not. Interesting that there are multiple (3) on each cone. Regardless, nice pipestone choker! Joe Tortalita is Kewa, so……?
. If I can find any similar cones, I’ll add them to the mix! I’m trying to remember if I have any pipestone pieces…hummmm?
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I Googled “Joe Tortalita” and found several examples attributed to him that have cones with multiples of this raincloud stamp, plus the word STERLING. However, the sites appear to be resales, so it’s hard to know for sure if this is reliable attribution vs. echo chamber. Hougart 4th edn. has a blurry pic of his mark (“a cloud”) but doesn’t mention anything specific about cones. One website gives his birth/death dates as (1922-2013) so sadly it seems he is no longer with us – and would also explain why these are all resales.
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Someone else said the same thing about it being the mark for the cones, so I’m thinking that is probably the case. Thanks for sharing your great necklace too.
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Your necklace is beautiful. I have always loved the combo of turquoise and pipestone.
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Thanks! Love yours! I was posting it to show that it’s most likely Navajo, not Kewa. So I’m thinking those are not hallmarks since they’re being used by different artists. I feel like we’ve had this come up on the forum before, but I couldn’t find it. And looks like Steve found Joe Tortalita’s hallmark, and my piece is definitely not his, although I have no idea who the artist is.
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Thanks, Steve. I think you have proven that the mark is a generic cone mark. You can always find this stuff!
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