Buying Authentic and Quality Native Jewelry
Buying authentic and handmade Native American jewelry can be a rewarding experience. You can always wear your jewelry with pride knowing that you’ve made a purchase that will help native people to sustain creativity and craftsmanship for years to come. However, it’s also important to recognize authenticity and quality when buying native jewelry. The Native Jewelers Society (NJS) community will offer insights, advice and tips to help you become an expert buyer and to foster your relationships with native artists.
Buying authentic and handmade Native American jewelry can be a rewarding experience. You can always wear your jewelry with pride knowing that you’ve made a purchase that will help native people to sustain creativity and craftsmanship for years to come. However, it’s also important to recognize authenticity and quality when buying native jewelry. The Native Jewelers Society (NJS) community will offer insights, advice and tips to help you become an expert buyer and to foster your relationships with native artists.
- Recognize Authenticity
- Recognize Quality Craftsmanship
- Seek Suggestions and Tips for Buying Native Jewelry
- Attend Juried Native Art Shows
- Learn About Native Jewelry Types
- Learn About Some History of Native Jewelry
A few tips:
- Shops are fined for knowingly selling imported jewelry as handmade Indian jewelry or
- Develop relationships with artists who will take the time to share their knowledge with you.
- Ask the right questions about the pieces you are interested in purchasing. Where was the piece made? What is the metal content? What stones are in the piece?
- Make sure you get a receipt for your purchase and ask for a certificate of authenticity if it is handmade.
- Fake discounts are also prevalent in the Native American jewelry and art business and you must educate yourself to know the true value of the piece you are considering purchasing.
- Be wary of buying synthetic turquoise, coral and other semi-precious stones that are sold as genuine.
- Promoting the Native American art of silversmithing and follows the laws outlined in the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990.
- Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990– The Indian Arts and Crafts Board, an agency located in the U.S. Department of the Interior, was created by Congress to promote the economic development of American Indians and Alaska Natives through the expansion of the Indian arts and crafts market. A top priority is the implementation and enforcement of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990, a truth-in-advertising law that provides criminal and civil penalties for marketing products as “Indian-made” when such products are not made by Indians, as defined by the Act.
When in Doubt, Buy Directly from the Artists! See our show listing
Buying and collecting Native American jewelry can be a very rewarding experience. However, it is important to understand the difference between handmade vs. mass produced work. You want to ensure that what you are buying is authentic.
“Fabricated” and “Cast”
Know the difference between “fabricated” and “cast”. Nowadays you can make a silicon mold of almost anything and easily have a thousand copies made up in a few weeks.
Corn row inlay is inlay that involves the shaping and polish of each stone, like cobble stone.
Imported or not hand crafted:
If something seems too good to be true (like what should be a $10,000 piece selling for $150) it probably is! It seems to me there are also honest sellers out there who think they are selling real Native pieces, but are being deceived by their suppliers.
Beads: Is the bead work clean and each bead well-defined? Is bright cutting straight, smooth, crisp, and bright?
Finish: Is the item well-polished in all areas? Look for uneven, rough, flat, or scaly surfaces. Have all nicks or file and tool marks been removed? Is the piece free of porosity? If it has a special finish, is it uniform and unmarred? Has any tarnish been removed?
Flashing: Has the mounting been cleaned after casting to completely remove any metal that is not inherent to the design?
Gemstone Cut: A round or brilliant cut diamond should have a truly circular girdle outline. Other cuts should be symmetrical. All should have the right proportions. An extremely thick girdle is distracting to the eye, adds unnecessary weight, and can cause setting and security problems. A too-thin girdle is susceptible to damage.
Gemstone Clarity: Under 10x magnification, look for bubbles, cracks, and inclusions, including dangerous feathers (breaks that reach the surface), that can make the stone vulnerable to breakage. Check facet edges, table, and planes for chips, cracks, and scratches.
Glue: Glue should not be visible on metal or the gemstone or pearl. Also, is the bond intact?
Prongs: Are prongs in full contact with stone(s)? Are they uniformly spaced and thick enough to hold the stone securely? Have all sharp edges or corners been smoothed? Do the prongs cover too much or too little of the stone? (Prongs should never exceed 75 percent of the height of the stone and should not cover more than 50 percent of the crown angle. Too-tall prongs are more likely to catch, snag, and bend.)
Quality Marks/Trademarks: Are the mark stamped correctly? If a piece has been stamped with a quality mark, does it also contain a trademark?
Rivets: Do they show? Are they sufficient in size for their purpose, or are they thicker than necessary?
Shank: Is it round and symmetrical? Is it thick enough to withstand the stress of wear?
Settings: Are all stones tight within the setting? If in a channel, are stones aligned properly? Do they touch or overlap?
Solder: Does solder show? Are there gaps in the solder flow? Does color match the piece? Has any tarnish been removed?
Here are some tips on inlay in general:
Micro-inlay – The micro inlay I am familiar with is spectacular work done by Navajo inlayers like Clayton Tom and Ervin Tsosie. Jesse Lee Monongye is of Navajo/Hopi descent and does amazing micro-inlay. You will not find any of these artist’s works for sale cheaply, so if you think you do, be careful.
Chip inlay – there is and was a lot of chip inlay being done in Mexico. In general I would say that the Navajo chip inlay is placed piece by piece in the cavity and arranged carefully, fitting pieces together like a mosaic, whereas the Mexican inlay looks like someone dumped a bunch of tiny chips into an area and then poured glue in there. This of course is a generalization, but look for carefully placed inlay and it is probably Navajo.
Turquoise– Only about 10% of turquoise on the market today is natural and untreated.
- Stabilization and treating turquoise is ok. Turquoise is a very soft material and most would crack or chip if it was not stabilized.
- Avoid “block” plastic made to look like turquoise, sometimes with fake or no matrix. . Also the matrix in block has a fake look. It is hard to describe how to identify block, but
- Real matrix is usually somewhat rocky or metallic so if you see very smooth looking matrix that is utterly evenly colored, it might be Block.
Purchase authentic Native American arts and crafts directly from the artist, from galleries or at special shows. Attend functions and festivals that draw Native American artists to them. Talk to them. Learn which artists create pieces that you enjoy and that are authentic with respect to materials and process.
- Don’t be shy to ask artist questions. Artists welcome you to ask questions about their work.
- Get some documentation on the item you are purchasing.
- Know the difference between a handmade piece verses an assembled piece. There’s a significant difference in value.
Anyone selling Native American art must disclose the authenticity of what they are selling. Authentic Native American artwork is identified with a trademark of the artist and often with the tribe of they are a member.
Other considerations:
- Authenticity
- Documentation
- Hallmarks
- The artist’s reputation
- The scarcity of the artist’s work
- The age of the piece
- The quality of workmanship
- The condition (see specifics below)
- The weight of sterling silver and gold used
- The quality and size of the stones used
- The overall aesthetics of the piece.
It’s always best to buy directly from Native Jewelers and Artists. Not only are you able to establish a relationship, but you can request a Certification of Authenticity from artists. If you are seeking high quality, hand-made native jewelry, it is best to attend reputable juried art markets throughout the nation. Here is a listing of recommended Juried Native Art Shows and Markets.
There are many reputable Native Art Galleries and Museums, however several galleries take significant percentages of each jewelry sale. Something to consider is that when you buy directly from a Native Artist you are paying them their full worth for their work.
If you are seeking authentic quality, be aware that many tourist galleries and shops tend to sell cheaper, and more mass-produced items. It’s not the same as buying directly from the artist at a Juried Native Art Show or Market.
Educate Yourself about Fake Native Art and Jewelry Cases in the News
Once you read some of these articles, you will better understand how important it is to buy directly from artists at Native Art Shows when buying Native Jewelry and Art. You must also educate yourself to recognize authentic and quality Native Art. When in Doubt, Buy Directly from the Artists! See our show listing
Support Native Jewelers by buying from them directly at Native Art Shows
Purchase authentic Native Jewelry by buying directly from the artists at Native Art Shows and talk directly to the artists. Ask artists about their techniques and learn what makes their work authentic with respect to materials and process.