I have a question about NA jewelry. I am a real newbie. I bought both these bracelets from the NA gallery in Scottsdale. The first one is the smaller bracelet. 5 days after I bought it, a stone fell out. I called them and sent it back, they sent it to the artist to be fixed and sent it back to me. Great, right? Last week I went in there again and bought the bigger bracelet. 3 days later the stone fell out. Different artist, same gallery. What the heck? Do stones just fall out regularly? Is that a thing? I have super cheap “turquoise” jewelry that I have bought from China and nothing has fallen out. I contacted the gallery and I am going to send it back, but I am really disappointed. I definitely will not have it back to wear during the holidays. The gallery is really nice about it, and apologetic. I do not get them wet or treat them roughly. Also, I paid TOP dollar for these. What are people’s thoughts?
You are correct. The stones should not pop out. From the photo the bezels look too short (and I prefer the saw tooth bezels) and looks like too much sawdust and not enough stone. It looks like the bezel was only gripping a mm or two of turquoise. There are several things that could have been done differently.
A further question is more me just seeking opinions. Should I just stop buying from this market? I want to support the actual artists, which they do, but having this happen twice on two separate pieces has me reconsidering my choice. I don’t know, I am so new at this that I am not sure what to think. I also have difficulty knowing who to trust that the work is legitimately NA, although I know there are laws around the use of that term.
I would begin by comparing various pieces in shops. Become familiar with construction and signs of a well made piece vs a not so well made piece. We are all always learning.
Some things to consider:
Is it clean work | Is there solder puddles or spatter | is it finished off well | does it look like a quick job
Height of bezels | bezels pushed securely around stones | depth of stone | is there more Devcon backing than turquoise | is the Devcon above the bezel | is the price commensurate with the quality
And then there is the quality of the turquoise. This opens up a new chapter.
These look like they are older pieces. It is possible that stones had been damaged or replaced, and done so poorly, and you were just the lucky recipient of a couple of pieces that the repairs didn’t hold up. There’s no telling what a secondhand piece’s history and treatment has been.
But no, it is not common that stones regularly fall out. A lot of our admiration for Native American jewelry is the superior craftsmanship. Not to say accidents never happen, but I have only had a stone fall out for no apparent reason once in my years of collecting; even cracked stones have remained solid in their settings.
It’s a shame you’ve had these less than desirable experiences as you’re just getting started. But it’s certainly out of your control.
If you enjoy contemporary jewelry, purchasing directly from the artist is one option, whether it be through Facebook or Instagram, or at the markets and shows. If you’re into the more vintage or earlier works, much research and homework is necessary to begin to learn what to look for when discerning quality pieces from look-a-like knock-offs and poor quality work.
Dealers and/or galleries that are members of ATADA (Authentic Tribal Arts Dealers Association) are vetted, dedicated, and committed to the real deal. Purchasing from an ATADA member is one way to make certain you’re not being taken advantage of. 
Since you are new to NA jewelry, a great way to become more familiar is to attend in-house auctions that have NA jewelry. There are several out west. You get to handle the items with no obligation to purchase. Then you see what they sell for. And compare past auction results to give you an idea of a fair bid.
It happens. The physics are such that when you have a large multi-stone setting on a wire shank, the flexion can loosen the stones like this. It’s an easy fix. Takes a couple of minutes. Any reasonably skilled silversmith can reset it for you. Everything looks intact, so nothing to get too worked up about.
Make sure the bracelet fits properly before you have the stone reset. You don’t want to flex it in and out, or you’ll end up doing this all over again.
ETA: Looking at the cut of the stones, large, roundish, and cut very flat with a small bevel around the outside edges, as @Stevestrail has remarked. the stones could ideally be set a bit deeper in the bezels. If you plan on wearing it frequently, I’d consider having all of the stones reset a bit deeper and affixed in the settings with epoxy or cyanoacrylate (super glue).
Because the stones are cut shallow, and flat relative to the overall large surface area, you’ll need to take care not to inadvertently bump up against hard surfaces with your bracelet as the stones will fracture more easily than a thicker stone with a more typical convex cut.
Thanks for the helpful information. I will try buying directly from the artist and look for that designation at retailers.
So, I feel a bit odd asking the artist to reset and superglue them in. I thought about gluing myself, but that seems like a stupid idea. Is it ok to ask an artist to redo his work? Or insulting? Are there people who do these kinds of repairs? I am feeling a little sick with worry and I just wanna wear the dang thing.
Perry Null in Gallup does a fabulous job fixing jewelry for a good price. I had them fix a cuff of mine. Let me find the address.
@StevesTrail are they called NA auctions? If I Google that is that what I look for? Or are they auctions that have other stuff and NA jewelry. I am in Seattle area. Not sure that they have that kind of thing here.
Here is a screenshot of the conversation I had about getting mine fixed. The address is in there. I did end up calling ahead, and asked them what they needed, because I didn’t get around to sending it to them till a couple years later. They got it back to me within a couple weeks, although I don’t know how busy they would be this time of year. Here’s a screenshot of the discussion in the thread.
If you keep reading on this forum you will find out which shops are good shops to purchase items from. I mostly shop at Native art markets where I can purchase directly from the artist (we have one here in Indiana), or at stores that I love out in the southwest. I seldom order online, but I have occasionally from reputable stores.
@Turquoiseandtattoos, for some reason I sent this to myself instead of to you, 
Glad to help. 
When you find the time, exploring the link to ATADA’s website will provide you with a directory of accredited members, along with the pertinent info for getting in touch with them.
@Turquoiseandtattoos, here is a link to their shop. Their phone number is down at the bottom if you click on “contact us.” You might also consider purchasing from them.
I do want to add that the price on repairing mine was a bit higher than other pieces I’ve had fixed, because it was more complicated; there were numerous broken heishi strings in the cuff that needed to be taken out, restrung, and put back in. I had been told by other stores it was not worth fixing, so of course I was thrilled that PN fixed it. And it ended up costing less than they originally thought. I was more than happy with their service.
I also had a number of items fixed at Palms Trading in Albuquerque, but I don’t know how fast they are if you mail something to them, because they did it for me while I was in Albuquerque on a trip.
I think @Ziacat’s advice regarding sending your bracelet to Perry Null is very sound.
In terms of the bracelet itself, you did just fine. Lovely natural Sleeping Beauty turquoise. Nice clean work, beautiful twist wire wrap around the bezels. It really makes a bold statement, is a very a nice piece, and once the stones are secured you’ll get many years of enjoyment from wearing it.
Thanks @mmrogers . I really love it and am sad that I have to send it away.
You found Billy the Kid. Another is Bradfords. Maybe others will chime in. I’ll add if I think of others. And once you get an idea of auction prices you will have stronger comfort factor bidding. Bidding against someone that wants it for themselves will likely drive the price higher. But you can always win against a dealer.
Let’s say you are looking at a bracelet. Check shops that have that particular makers bracelets for sale. A shop typically will only bid 1/3 of their retail price. If a desirable maker they might go to 1/2 of their retail.
There is also Freeman’s. Friends of Hubbell, Santa Fe Art Auction. Double check that they are on site auctions.
I’ve had luck at SGW..shop goodwill…but it is getting harder and harder to find a deal. I bought an Anthony Lovato necklace for under $400 there yesterday and looked to compare prices on EBay. Today I just got an offer from the EBay seller for the same necklace…uh…no thanks. I really like this style.
@nanc9354 that necklace is really nice, and it looks like you got it for a bargain! I have done a little bidding on SGW, but everything seems to go for pretty high prices, in the end, it seems. I will keep browsing everywhere in an attempt to educate and familiarize myself with prices and artists. And to buy when I can, of course.