Thank you for providing this pivotal information about Snow Horse. It reads to me as a firsthand account from this lady Marilyn who personally knew the Woolseys. IMHO, sounds like the Snow Horse mystery is solved ~ the Woolseys owned a retail shop in Green Mountain Falls, and Snow Horse was a line of their jewelry.
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A great many thanks are due to @chicfarmer for bringing the listing from flyingtigerantiques.com to light, that contained the first mention of this jewelry not being crafted by native hands, which was backed up by @Fort.Thunderbird.Trading.Post, who is deserving of praise for chiming in and keeping an open mind. @singing has my gratitude for taking the time to find the ring listing and discussing the matter in question with Marilyn, who provided an abundant amount of information, that coiincides right along with @Fort.Thunderbird.Trading.Post’s initial reply.
This collaborative effort, to seek the truth and provide information for those interested, is awe-inspiring. I am thankful for the discussion, and I am compelled to agree, @Patina, it took no time at all to get this one squared away!
@TAH, I’ve a few things to contribute to your “Belt Buckles and Concho Belts” thread, including a second phase concho-turned buckle that may be related to yours! The way you composed the photographs of you and your family’s jewelry, with the clothing, hats, and other daily items, is simply beautiful, and very impressive.
The effort made by the Richards’ is unrivaled, and the product of that effort is such a great resource. As you pointed out, the Hosteen Goodluck examples don’t quite add up, strictly speaking to dates of creation. I feel the slippery slope of attributions can easily be slipped upon, (as I admittedly did at the beginning of this thread, reliant on my families stories)
Thank you for your response and kind words. Your contributions to this community have been enjoyable, informative and quite entertaining. I look forward to conversing with you in the future as I’m certain this passion for belt buckles, concho belts, and all things early is shared by us.
Thank you all again, for a wonderful experience!
Regards,
Aaron
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Lookin’ forward to it! Now stop readin’ this post and start takin’ photos. 
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Aaron, just came across this buckle on eBay and thought you would like to see it.
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@TAH Beautiful buckle! I see the earth, sky, and clouds (mother-of-pearl) in this wonderful belt buckle.
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Good morning, Tom, and thank you for sharing this beautiful buckle. It definitley is a good example of the Snow Horse line of jewelry.
This reminds me of how thankful I am to this community for clearing up the misunderstanding surrounding these pieces. Not only for myself, but for anyone else that finds themselves researching a piece with “Snow Horse” vibratory engraved on the reverse.
Thanks again @TAH.
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Sorry I’m so late to the thread, Aaron. It does look like the engraver tip was flattened to more of a chisel shape on the signatures on the vibratory engraved pieces you’ve purchased over the years.
I’m not familiar with Snow Horse the artist, but I am familiar with the style and technique for creating these pieces. Square wire or heavy gauge sheet channels on a fairly heavy backplate inlayed with a version of ear of corn inlay, also referred to as ‘cobble stone’.
We actually produced quite a bit of jewelry in this style at the Gallup NM trading company where I managed production early on. I’ve personally worked in the style myself for custom pieces back then.
I do see a higher consistency and level of quality in your purchased pieces vs the buckle posted on eBay, which isn’t quite up to the same standards of workmanship.
Have never personally been a fan of vibratory engraved signatures because it’s so easy to add vibratory engraving at any time after the fact. Much harder to authenticate with any degree of certainty.
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Thank you for chiming in, Mike. Thanks to some shared information and a general lack of knowledge concerning the signature, the conclusion was reached that “Snow Horse” was a line of jewelry. To my knowledge, noone has shared undeniable proof that it denotes a specific smith.
I’ve retained the pendant that belonged to my grandfather, and the cuff that was made for my father, but the other pieces have found their way to my mother and dear sister. My tastes have evolved a bit, and while examples of the “Snow Horse” line of jewelry that I’ve had in hand are exceptionally well crafted, (I feel) they don’t really get my motor running.
Thank you, again, for providing your valued insight and thoughts.
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Must have misunderstood. In your original post, you referred to Snow Horse as an individual and family friend who personally made pieces for your family. Makes sense the name ‘Snow Horse’ could have been, or evolved over time into a shop mark of sorts.
This was a popular style for a fairly brief period in the early 70s (not viral but sold well). Design trends spread fast and sometimes died out just as quickly.
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I really should heavily modify that first post. But my reasoning behind not doing so, is what I shared was my understanding from what I’d been told over the years. Through the collaborative effort of members here, I relaized what I’d been told had more than likely morphed by the time it got to me.
I’ve left it be as it shows the path I mistakenly traveled and provides others with the truth that was waiting at the end of it. I apologize if it was all so confusing, Mike.
Thank you for your thoughts!
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I’m not easily confused, Aaron. Happy you were able to reach an understanding and consensus on this.
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I’d like to chime in here as I collect Snow Horse jewelry and have also been researching it. Though I’ve found nothing definitive quite yet, I also do not see any evidence to support the claim it was a group of Artists either. The line in the Flying Tiger listing offers no evidence at all and should be give the same amount of sketicism as any other information. I for one place a lot of value on stories that are passed down through generations tho they often can include wrong information. I dont see any reason to suspect that these pieces are not native made based on the materials use and when they were created. There are a lot more non native artists making native style jewelry now than there were then. I would love to connect with the OP if you see this please send me a DM! Here is a pic of my small collection, a ring, neck collar, buckle and cuff! Always looking for more adam.vickers27@gmail.com
Misread the first part of this statement, and have edited to correct.
Whether the domestic percentages of non Native to Native craftspeople have increased is arguable, however there is no question off shore production of Native style jewelry is only increasing!
The materials used have never been a reliable predictor of Native origin. Fraud and misattribution, deliberate or otherwise is rampant, and there is every reason for healthy skepticism regarding any claim of Native origin for any item offered without ironclad Provenance.
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The truth, and bottom line, is that I do not have photographic evidence, receipts, or any other provenance to shore up my previous statements. Statements that I’d prefer now to never have made, as I lack the backup.
Personally, I feel everyone should be questioned, from the person who claims to know everything, to the world’s most prolific, respected, and revered gallery owner/dealer who helped form ATADA and has been a fixture in the Native American Art scene for the last 85 years. Their experience counts for something, sure, but no one person’s word is the end all be all, by any stretch of the imagination.
I would never put a blindfold on and follow someone towards a cliff; similarly, I refuse to count any one person’s word as gospel, and much prefer to perform my own research. But I’m a huge proponent of critical thinking, so there’s that.
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I agree with you. I like evidence and facts wherever they lead. I hope in this case we will find info either way. I did send an email to the site that said they were a group of artists who made jewelry in Colorado. I never heard back. Has anyone made contact with them?