Hi all! As you all may have noticed, I’ve been in a bit of a buying spree lately (facepalm), and found this concho belt and wanted to get your opinions on it.
I love the double diamond stamping, that’s probably what caught my eye the most (it’s similar to stamping I have on bracelets from Thailand & Morocco).
I’m attaching photos. Some of the stones are broken, and I offered $675 due to that and the seller accepted. I can return it if you think this was a bad buy. It’s about 306g, the buckle and conchos measure 3”x2.5”. No visible marks or stamps that I can find, so not sure what to think.
Looks like a classic mid-20th century Navajo concho belt to me. I like the design and it appears to have nice patina and color. Even though some of the stones are cracked, as long as they are stable, that doesn’t really bother me on a belt of this age. The fact that it is not hallmarked or stamped sterling is typical on jewelry from this period. You might want to ask if the silver has been tested.
I’m not good with pricing, but $675 seems fair for what it is and its weight at 306 grams. Good looking belt!
Thank you for the input. It tested Sterling using a JSP acid test.
The patina is quite dark, but I wonder if that wasn’t faked somehow, as the conchos appear lighter around the mounts for the stones (most evident in one photo with the cracked cab).
Cool belt! I agree with @TAH’s assessment and think $675 is quite a good price for it, even with the broken stones. You might have to replace some of the stones at some point if they fall out or become unstable, but otherwise I’d just let them be.
I feel you made out just fine, and that the price is a fair one for such a belt. I concure with @TAH as well. I find the stamp that embellishes the buckle’s opening and the borders of the conchos somewhat unique, the “double diamond” stamp that caught your eye.
@mmrogers’ opinion is always valued and insightful, but until he steps in, I’ll share my thought. The “lighter” color that you mention surrounding the stones is from the soldering of the bezels, in my opinion. It could be considered the affected area of the process, and has the potential to age differently than the base metal. I’m sure both @Stracci and @mmrogers could explain this more eloquently.
It’s a beautiful belt!
It looks like the lighter areas are around all the soldering points, not just where the stones are mounted.
What @Ravenscry said… …It could be due to the alloys in the solder, or the heating applied to those base areas which caused the difference in the oxidizing color that you see. Applying high heat to some metals can cause color change, brittleness, etc.
I wouldn’t bat an eyelash over that, it’s a gorgeous piece.
As an aside, would any of you polish this belt? Using only a soft polishing cloth, no chemicals or compounds. I’m aware that patina is desirable, but this belt is so dark that I wonder if a little buffing would be ok? Sadly, I can’t wear it as often as I may like (for it to buff naturally) as I wear athletic clothes for work.
Patina is desirable but plain old tarnish isn’t. I’d hit it with a buffy glove, rubbing gently and focusing on the raised areas. To figure out your technique, I’d practice on something else first.
I think you did well, even with broken stones. Others will disagree but I would first wash with Dawn and warm water. I’ve never been against proper polishing of modern silver. Then I would hand polish with a rouge cloth. Being mid-20th century and not signed I might even make a weak solution of warm water and Wrights silver cream and rub gently with a cotton rag like an old t-shirt and soft tooth brush. Keep in mind that people have been polishing their silver items for centuries and since your belt is not a “museum” piece I think it would appreciate being brought back to life and would be real show stopper. I use a few drops of the Loctite on loose or broken stones I don’t want to replace then give the top a quick wipe with acetone.
Thank you, @StevesTrail. I may go that far with the polishing. All of the broken stones seem very tight, but I’ll consider securing them. Thank you!
After @mmrogers suggestion, and thinking “what’s the difference between patina and tarnish?”, I hit the buckle and two conchos with a quick buff of the soft polishing cloth I have.
As a kid I used to polish my grandmother’s silver, (i.e. trays, coffee pots) quite often (with a compound and rag), so I’m used to silver going from dingy to sparkling, lol. I don’t polish my other jewelry, just give it a light buff if I haven’t worn it.
But I think I understand patina versus tarnish now…. (Buckle and first 2 conchos vs the rest)
Oops. Got the sequence out of order. First I check that the stones are secure and tighten any bezels that is within reason. Then I might use the loctite if necessary. Most of the NA use sawdust or matchbook thick type paper material in the bottom of the bezel. Prior to washing, I soften bees wax in my hand and form it on the stones and over the top of the bezel to prevent water from entering and expanding the wood based material which could raise up the stone and become loose when dried. The nice thing is you have the backs to experiment on to achieve the look you desire. There is a fine line between tarnish and patina and the controversy persists.
Oh, I like how it looks with the light polish job! I just polish my stuff carefully with a sunshine cloth a bit at a time so I don’t go too far. However, I hardly ever need to polish most of it because it gets a lot of wear, although I don’t wear belts much.
@Ziacat exactly! I have bracelets and earrings i wear all the time that don’t need any polishing, but this belt (obviously) needed some love. It’s still quite dark, but catches the eye now, instead of the design blending into shadow. I love it even more.
You are right, the tarnish kept the stamped designs from showing up. However, I sometimes think a high polish also takes away from the beauty of good stamp work - like it gets lost in the shine. But if you’re not selling it, you do what you like!
