I live in Canada and bought this turquoise ring at a shop up here (see additional photos at the end of this post). It was billed as a vintage Navajo ring although admittedly it came with no provenance whatsoever. It does not have a sterling mark, although the seller said she had tested it and found the metal to be sterling silver. I liked the ring and decided to take a chance on it.
So here are my questions, please.
Based on the photos, do you think this is Navajo?
The back of the ring has what looks like the etched initials “TT”. Does anyone recognize this?
What type of turquoise is this, i.e. what mine might it be from? (If it helps, there are a couple of small silvery glints in the stone that could be pyrite.)
I tested the ring with a neodymium magnet and found that while most of the metal is non-reactive, it is reactive on the back (directly behind the cabochon) and around the rim of the bezel. I learned that some jewellery makers added iron filings inside the bezel. Does this make it less likely to be a Navajo piece? And, does this practice (and the lack of a metal stamp) help to date this ring at all?
Any idea how old this ring is likely to be?
Is there an accepted term for the curlicues and drops seen on this ring? Do they represent anything, or are they simply stylistic flourishes?
It probably is TT, but you may never know who the maker is.
It’s really hard to say what kind of turquoise this is, but the bright blue color and pyrite inclusions make me think it’s from Arizona.
There is most likely JB Weld backing behind the stone. JB Weld is a type of black colored epoxy that has metal powder in it for strength.
This layer of epoxy reinforces the stone. It is very commonly used, and that is why you’re getting a magnetic effect behind the stone.
I think this ring is 1970s-80s
The curls are a pretty design element. I don’t think they have any real meaning
@Stracci, thank you so much for your kind reply. That’s all such heartening news! I really appreciate your sharing your expertise on the authenticity, dating, etc. And so interesting about JB Weld, too. It’s really nifty to learn these little tidbits about construction!
Agree with @Stracci, looks Navajo to me. I feel like I almost always guess Kingman (an AZ mine) on turquoise, but who knows Also agree that the swirls and drops are just a design. Lovely little ring!
I believe your profile says you are from BC? I love Canada, and have visited your wonderful country a LOT, mostly Ontario, but have been in 8 of your provinces through the years. We spent 5 nights on Vancouver Island about 10 yrs ago, beautiful place. Welcome to the site!
Hi @Ziacat! Thanks for your comments and your friendly welcome It’s nice to meet both you and @Ziacat
Yes, I’m from BC, Canada. Actually I’m from Ontario originally, but now I live on Vancouver Island. Admittedly not too many Navajo pieces out here, but plenty of West Coast First Nations silver jewellery, which I also love. Vancouver Island is home to many extraordinarily gifted Indigenous silversmiths. Another ongoing temptation for sure!
I agree with the others and think that it’s Navajo. The TT is the mark for Tobe Turpin which is now Perry Null. The magnetic maybe the backing on the turquoise but some turquoise is slightly magnetic in its own right. Enjoy your new ring.
On our visit we bought some beautiful art from local native artists in Tofino, and I bought a pendant in Nainamo. I bet your jewelry is gorgeous. Would love to see some! We had a thread on here quite a while ago that discussed other native art, and we had talked about some from the Pacific West coast. But I can’t find it now.
For about the first 20 years of my life we went east of Sault Ste Marie, Ontario on vacation. That’s where I was first introduced to Native art through my parents shopping.
@Islandmomma, much appreciate your comments. I was wondering if the TT might be a Tobe Turpin mark. Interesting about some turquoise being slightly magnetic – the stuff with pyrite, maybe? Thanks very much!
@Ziacat, I would love to see some of your Native art. Are any photos of it posted to this community? (And certainly I could share a small number of pics of my silver pieces – mostly Kwakwaka’wakw, I think – I’m just not sure yet which subsection of the forum they are appropriate to! It is certainly Indigenous jewellery, definitely silver but not turquoise, it’s not “non-native”, and I’m uncertain as to whether it falls into the Native American category or whether that is restricted to the 50 states.)
Thanks, @Ziacat! Really looking forward to seeing your raven. Corvids are so charming! And I’ll reply to the “other native art” question on the thread you mentioned. Thank you.
(Later I may post some Canadian First Nations silver pieces in the show and tell. (For some reason I don’t seem to have photographed those yet, time to get to work on that )
@chamekke, I am coming into this at least a day late and won’t pretend I have the knowledge some of the others do to answer most of your questions (also I am relatively new to the site). But I did have a comment on your possible turquoise type question. I live in the Phoenix area and have been looking at some Morenci pieces locally recently. Same bright deeper blue color with pyrite inclusions (and also some black chert matrix) in the ones I looked at. And I have read Morenci is known for this. Nice ring regardless!
@RolandTHTG69, thank you for your thoughtful comment. I had wondered if there was any chance this might be Morenci. Admittedly there are only flecks of pyrite, and it certainly doesn’t make up the whole of the matrix, but then again I guess that’s typical only of the highest grade? Anyway, it’s an intriguing mystery, and one that pushes me to learn more about turquoise in general.
I’ll love to hear more about your exploration of the Morenci pieces! Did you buy any? Is that your favourite mine/turquoise type?
@chamekke, I have not pulled the trigger and purchased any yet. Still looking and evaluating. If I do I might post a picture. Also looking at some cabs and having a ring made to wear. I have not yet seen any pieces or stones where pyrite made up the entire matrix. Usually in combination with black to dark gray host rock. And usually less then the black matrix amount. So I would say yours is pretty good! Morenci is not necessarily my favorite type, but certainly up there as one of them. There are too many great ones!
Just to throw this out there…it also could be Kingman which can have pyrite. I’ve got a cuff with a couple small pieces of Morenci with barely any visible pyrite (per the seller, a trusted shop in Albuquerque), and another older piece that Jason thought possibly is Morenci even though it doesn’t look typical. Then I have buckle that I suspect has a bunch of Morenci that looks like what you might expect. So I guess what I’m saying is…it’s difficult!
Living so far from the lands of turquoise, I must rely on online photos (and the odd library book) to give a sense of what Kingman, Morenci, Bisbee etc. look like. And there can be so much variation in each! It’s fascinating. And in the absence of provenance, we have to fall back on informed guesswork, as you say.
Obviously it’s not essential for me to know (if it were, I’d have bought something with provenance!) – but this really helps me get more of a sense of the characteristics of the turquoises from different mines. Which is not a sentence I ever thought I’d be saying…
Also agree that the swirls and drops are just a design. Lovely little ring!
It’s nice to meet both you and 
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