We don’t get much here in SoCal and I’m still looking for a good local place to shop. Our Goodwill only sells costume jewelry…all else they sell on their auction site. I wear my stuff and get lots of compliments…I’ve loved Native American jewelry since I was 6 or 7…we would drive to Arkansas every summer to pick up my grandparents from my aunts house…they would fly back and we’d pick them up and do the tourist stuff on our way to get them. I would beg my dad to stop at a trading post and he’d say the next one…until there were no more!! So it’s been in my blood for a looong time!!
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I’m really late to this thread. Interesting to hear all your stories; TAH, you especially made me chuckle at your intro post. I also live in a conservative Midwest town (but I love it here), and see very little Native American jewelry worn or for sale. But then what we Midwestern peeps wear makes us stand out!
Seems like almost every time I wear my Mary Tafoya inlaid bird pendant someone comments on how much they love it. Then they often ask me if I made it. 
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I’ll add this here then. I was at a competition in Carmel, Indiana this weekend, and a friend of mine who’s a coach in Indy said, “oh I’ve been waiting to show you my cuff my daughter had made for me.” Here it is! It’s by Marlena Tom.
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Ok, here’s mine!
I stopped a lady in Abiquiu NM, to see her bracelet. Frank Patania!
She let me photograph her wrist
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Guys, I had the craziest meeting with a turquoise person today.
I was in a grocery store (I’m a vendor, so I’m always in the grocery!)
Anyway, I had all my turquoise clumped on, you know what I mean…
So this guy, about 70 years old, calls to me “Nice turquoise!”
I said “Oh thanks! Gee, your pieces are nice too!”
He was wearing a nugget necklace, a knife wing bolo, turquoise cuffs and rings on both hands.
All nice stuff.
He started telling me about them, etc.
I told him that I made all the pieces I was wearing.
He says “My brother makes turquoise jewelry too, and his pieces made the cover of “Rock and Gem” magazine several times, Look!”
He pulls out his phone, searches, and finds the picture of the first magazine cover.
So as I am looking at the pic, he swipes left to show me the next cover, and there is a picture of a well endowed girl showing her naughty parts.
I laughed so hard, and he turned all kinds of red.
He quickly said, “Oh, my brother sent me that one!”
I told him it was my laugh for the day!
Then he sheepishly made his departure🤣
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You just never know what you might see on someone else’s phone. 
Thanks for sharing.
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I know! People need to think before they start swiping through their pictures!
It was pretty funny, though.
It’ll be a long time before I forget what I saw today…
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And that is why it’s so helpful to use themed albums (and the hidden album!) in photos apps Still, I’m glad you met a fellow turquoise enthusiast.
And you gave me my laugh for the day, too
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