My husbands grandmother is 91 years old. She recently got put on palliative care and is low on funds, so she asked me to try to sell these pieces for her. She said her husband got her this set out west for her 50th birthday. I plan on taking it somewhere to get appraised but i have no clue where to go or if its even worth it. There is no markings. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
The stones are very pretty. Did you test the item for sterling?
Tarnish looks on point for Sterling Silver. Don’t take my word for it as I am probably the least qualified on this site to give an opinion, but the turquoise itself looks like it may be of the Morenci variety! It resembles Bisbee as well but I’m not as positive on that as Morenci.
I would recommend either having it consigned at a popular shop in your area or online selling. Alternatively there are users on this forum who are collectors
Your husbands grandmother has excellent taste!
Sorry for the multiple edits: I can’t tell if it’s Navajo or Zuni but I’m guessing Navajo just because it’s leaning toward that look. What I can also say is that these pieces would have appeal to collectors due to the beautiful craftsmanship and (potential) provenance of the stones. Based on my limited experience they look either Morenci or Bisbee mines (leaning toward Morenci), which are desired amongst this community.
Thank you so much for your help. I took it to a jewelry store near my town and the owner said he doesnt feel comfortable enough to appraise it. So, now im on the search of where to go. But I’m gonna research the turquoise type because I didnt even realize there was different kinds. And yes, his grandmother has great taste. She has traveled all over the world. She has given me jewelry from Egypt and Rome. All beautiful pieces.
I would not guess Morenci on these stones. Could be Kingman, Turquoise Mountain, Pilot Mountain, Royston; figuring out a mine without provenance is an educated guessing game, and I am not an expert.
Has a Navajo look. I think not handmade beads.
I agree I don’t think it’s Morenci and definitely not Bisbee. My first thought was pilot Mountain, but without provenance it’s just a guess. The beads do appear to be bench beads. It’s a beautiful set and I hope you (SarahJo) will enjoy it for a long time.
Agree about the stones not being Morenci, certainly not Bisbee.
Aside from the turquoise, the silverwork is very unusual, to the extent that I’m puzzled about the origins of the urn-like (headdress?) appliques and the floaty leaves on the naja, not fixed in place as you’d expect. It almost looks like it was gussied up (added onto) from a more typical necklace, versus being made originally as it appears now.
Agree with @chicfarmer here. This doesn’t look at all like native work to me. The appliqués have a very ‘India Indian’, or even Thai aesthetic. Incongruous to my eye seeing this paired with 70’s Navajo style filigree in a squash blossom format. Stylistically it’s truly a mixed bag.
@chicfarmer and @mmrogers, I thought something about it looks… different, but it was just my gut feeling.
I appreciate everyones feedback. Like i said, i didnt even know where to begin. So thank you all for giving your opinions.
I just double checked verified Morenci varieties and honestly don’t know what I was thinking lol. Royston maybe
@Duelstar By way of backstory, even high-end dealers in the field are cautious to close-mouthed about offering a turquoise ID unless they really know and/or have provenance. Simply, there is the risk of being the reason some reseller winds up misrepresenting a piece of jewelry to a buyer. This can mean defrauding someone, and it’s a known and huge issue in the Native American jewelry secondary market.
I looked at this post earlier today. My guess is that it could possibly be Pilot Mountain turquoise. Doesn’t look like either Bisbee or Morenci, imo. Some areas of the silverwork look a bit different from what I’ve personally seen in NA jewelry. That’s a pause for me. I think that @mmrogers and @chicfarmer are on point with their comments.
Looking again, these are lotus flower appliqués, so I think we can safely rule out a native origin for the silver work. What in the world? How did this even get made?
Unironically I believe that we can safely call this set a one of a kind commission !
Im going to talk to her tomorrow and find out exactly where he got it from. She said the state the other day but i cant remember what she said. I will let everyone know.