So i found this bracelet by accident while browsing online. I really like it, and for once it seems that there is provenance for a piece, which is very rare in my area. I contacted the seller, who has been very rude, but seems trustworthy overall, based on previous feedback. Even though i’ve been the highest bidder the seller keeps asking for a ‘serious’ offer, while i have been fairly serious and haven’t gone ‘all out’ yet so to speak. Reason for this is that i have a few doubts:
i think i’m seeing a crack in the stone,
the seller calls the material nickle silver,
i can’t try out the piece to see if it fits.
I’m fascinated by the engraving on the back and think i can read …Arizona…Kingm…sterl…silv…
This one is a bit of a riddle.
Can i ask for an opinion on what would seem a reasonable price for an item like this?
So i can either give it a final shot, or forget about it and move on (and post about it in ‘the one that got away’ topic lol).
@Bluegreen Hi ~ I’m not sure about a reasonable price but, I use a feature on eBay that I find helpful. For example, you can enter a search for a turquoise cuff and on the lefthand side of the screen you’d choose “sold items” under the “Show Only” criteria. You’ll be able to see the actual sold price for (maybe similar) cuffs. Just curious ~ have you asked the seller if the stone has a crack (if that info isn’t in the description)? Also, is the seller not providing the inner circumference measurement of the cuff including the gap?
Hi @Patina thanks for that ebay suggestion, i always forget to check for the sold listings.
And the listing is very minimal with info, so no measurements. Also the seller seemed reluctant to communicate and was at times plain rude, so i’m hesitating to ask more questions (about the crack & measurements etc). I do like the cuff though
I would ask the questions you would like answered. If the seller’s reply doesn’t give you a warm fuzzy feeling, personally, I would move on.
There is a cuff online I would love to purchase. I have asked questions on at least two separate occasions at least a month apart and never received a response. Apparently they don’t care to sell their item.
to my eye, this looks sterling. nickel silver doesn’t tarnish quite like this, it gets kind of ashy looking and flat. however, to my eye all of whatever is engraved on the back looks to be sitting on TOP of the heavy patina. which tells me it was added later, not by the maker when it was new. that doesnt necessarily mean it isn’t accurate, just a point that would suggest more info is needed.
I don’t want to burst any bubbles, but the decorative elements are giving me just a little bit of import vibes.
Kee, Allen
Kee, Anthony (Elmer)
Kee, Carol
Kee, Edith
Kee, Ed
Kee, Eloise
Kee, George
Kee, Harrison
Kee, Inez
Kee, Irvin
Kee, Ivan
Kee, J.
Kee, Mabel
Kee, Marie
Kee, Richard
Kee, Sam
Kee, Samson
Kee, Sue
Kee, Tom
Kee, Tully
Kee, Vee
I see “sterl silver” in the lower right. The stone might be cracked - I would ask the seller. What are they asking for it? And to me, rudeness is an indication of something to hide, like maybe a cracked stone, .
That is solid advice, thank you. And i also have what you describe at other occasions. Not much to do about i guess. Luckily i also encounter lots of very friendly sellers
Thanks so much, those are very strong points i didn’t notice/ am not trained to see. I did ‘suspect’ the material to be sterling too, based on the tarnishing. But i’ve been wrong about that a couple of times in the past (distinguishing nickel from silver)
Thanks, i caught that too, the ‘sterl silver’ and left of that i think it says King (man?).
And they didn’t mention an asking price, it’s a bidding system. And thanks everybody for getting my feet back on the ground. Maybe i got carried away a little haha. It’s just rare over here to find nice authentic Native American items in between the endless stream of fake and mislabeled stuff.
I’m with @Patina, the seller should answer questions and disclose the crack, along with giving you the inner circumference and gap dimensions.
I also saw what appears to be a reference to Kingman and sterling silver on the back, wonder if it’s been tested and why the seller is calling it nickel silver. And @Jemez2, has a good point, check that inscribed info on back again
I’d be cautious of spending too much on this piece, I know it’s difficult when you really like something…maybe do as @ Patina said and find out what some of the sellers other pieces have sold for…what does he mean by “serious offer?” If you make an offer, isn’t it a serious offer…sheesh!
Thanks for your response @Bmpdvm i agree 100%
I think this seller has little clue but is looking for the jackpot. Out of 100+ items he has only this piece of jewelry plus a modern kitsch looking thing.
What i think i’ll do is just sit it out. Taking everything in account i think my offer is pretty reasonable /serious and i doubt anyone will top it. More so because the listing gets very little traffic due to being mislabeled. Perhaps the guy will reconsider after a while and in the mean time i’ll spend my energy on other things.
I see from your profile that you are in the Netherlands. I now understand that maybe you don’t see a lot of NA jewelry there and were really happy to find this cuff.
Go with your gut feeling. If it is an online auction, bid with your comfortable spending on a bracelet that may have a cracked cab. If it is not cracked all the better for you.
Best wishes to you.
Yes that is exactly true. Every now and then there are nice NA items available but provenance is really very rare over here. Plus lots of fake items and much Hopi style imitations. ‘Navajo’ is a term that is used very (too) liberally over here. But i really do like to search around for nice items and am training myself a bit in order to recognize authentic items. This forum helps a lot with that.
Thank you for your kind advice and best wishes to you too.
Dionne Warwick says it best, Walk on by (ok fine, actually Bacharach). But I have a thing against lining the pockets of rude/shifty sellers, no matter their offerings.
I think this sounds right based on what you’ve disclosed about your exchanges with this seller. Some who don’t know NA value or jewelry prices in general think they’ve struck gold with old NA pieces. For the record, I also think it is sterling but that is just a guess based on the look of the metal…he or she may think it isn’t silver if it isn’t marked, but we know sometimes NA pieces aren’t.
I agree the stone appears to be cracked slightly but the picture quality is not good enough to tell. If the seller is rude, shifty, and not knowledgeable, I’d walk unless the price is low enough and they take returns. You being located in the Netherlands is definitely a stumbling block to more access to a wider variety and I hate for you to miss out on this if you really love it, but I also hate to see you get your heart set on it and possibly get stuck with a dud.
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