Found these at an estate sale and I am in the process of cataloging my NA jewelry for my girls. I need to know that they will know what they have should they need to sell when I’m gone. Any info would be greatly appreciated. All of these are marked G. F. They all have a gold cast to them even though I have used my sunshine cloth to polish a little. Are these NA, age, worth? Who is G.F. I can’t find him.
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I haven’t had a chance to look up G F ( I’m out of town), but if all three pieces have the same letters in the same style, they could be the initials of the initial owner. Just a thought.
And they appear to be older Navajo style…
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These are production pieces typical of the 1970s. Made by hand in quantities of 10 to up to 100 identical pieces, likely with stones and materials provided by the trading company who ordered them. Sometimes items like this were made in quantity in the home by the silversmith for sale to traders. Typically items like this were sold by the 1lb paper bag full to one of the many wholesalers along highway 66 in Gallup or in Albuquerque.
Not very romantic but that’s how it was done 99% of the time. The fact they’re signed with an electric engraver says to me they were probably produced as an order with some sort of signature specified by the dealer. Anyone’s guess who actually made them. “Indian Jewelry” was phenomenally popular during this period, and everyone and their brother was making rings, bracelets, neckwear, you name it.
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Thanks, I figured it was something like that. The pieces are very roughly made, but as someone once said, I enter into the piece and meet the artist and his struggles. I appreciate your help
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@mmrogers
A great answer, Mike.
The sheer amount of older, low quality pieces out there is baffling. I knew it was being made quick and cheap. Now I know why.
I see so much of it in my area.
I fear that many people write off NA jewelry because of items like these.
Personally, I detest sloppy work.
I am glad that so many jewelers today strive for high quality!
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The sheer volume that was made during that period is amazing. You’d walk into a dealers store, and there would be soft drink flats that fit a case of sodas full of 1/2 lb paper bags filled with rings, bracelets, etc. of different styles, filling up rooms full folding tables filled with merchandise. Company after company, store after store. Everyone was making money, and lots of it.
If you had a car, and were willing to go on the road you could walk into a trading company, walk out with a case or two of consignment jewelry, and you were in business. It was an incredible time to be alive.
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People definitely wanted what was popular at the time and I am old enough to remember everybody and their brother wearing them. I have a few of these cheaper mass production pieces, too; usually you run across these at pawn shops and antique malls and places like that. I have learned to identify these as in a separate category from good quality, more unique pieces…they aren’t too hard to spot with a little practice. They still have their place and many of them are vintage now, even if they weren’t that well made.
Was never a fan of the bumpy, low quality stones that are often hallmarks of those pieces.
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Yup, totally agree with this!! This is all many people know as representative of N A jewelry, tourist pieces of low quality that also show poor examples of the beauty of turquoise!
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