Buying Tips for Native American Jewelry

Authentic southwestern Indian jewelry is very precious to the native cultures of the United States and the artists work very hard to create these beautiful masterpieces. The Native American jewelry industry has become very popular in these modern times. Along with the popularity come those who try to exploit the industry for profit, it is important to be aware of this and how misrepresentations can be avoided. It is exceedingly important if you are looking to buy jewelry, so that you may acquire valuable authentic items of jewelry as well as help preserve this some what fragile industry. So before you buy, invest some time in researching the ins and outs of this market and what it has to offer.

One of the first steps is to educate your self about what exactly southwestern Native American jewelry is and what it looks like. Check out the different styles of the different tribes and learn what these authentic pieces are supposed to look like. The Jewelry Guide in this site is dedicated to helping you with this first step, for further research and information on this subject check out live pieces in museums or reputable sellers if they are available. Check the pieces for hallmarks which are the artists stamp engraved in the silver. There are books available that list many popular artists’ signature stamps. Investigate what frauds are doing to swindle consumers so that you don’t fall for the same scam. It would be pretty embarrassing to find out that you one hindered dollar turquoise bracelet later chipped to reveal a white plastic undercoat.

Learn about all the different materials that can buy used to create Native American jewelry. A great range of value and quality of the jewelry can be determined buy the value and quality of the materials that are used to make the jewelry. For Example, the two main components to be studied are silver and turquoise. Sterling silver is the most prized and valuable used but other forms of silver such as coin silver, nickel silver, and German silver can also be used but are less valuable due to the smaller percentage of true silver in the compound. Turquoise is measured by its rarity and naturalness. Turquoise that has been mined and has not undergone elaborate processing will be more valuable than turquoise that has been mined in chalk form and has been restructured with chemicals and dyes. Some very cheap forms can be made of more plastic and resins than actual mined stone. Any gem stone or shell used in crafting jewelry has its range of value that can be more carefully examined.

Another key to successfully purchasing legitimate is to buy from established reputable dealers. If the company you are buying from has a priority in pitching you the best price and it seems too good to be true then it probably is. These companies sell machine made items made with cheap materials an pass them off as high quality. A trained eye can easily pick up on these cons, but it is very hard to tell from pictures alone. More reputable dealers will likely want to inform and educate their buyers about the products they are selling. I good dealer with authentic product is not scared of an educated buyer. Several non profit and government organizations have been established in order to protect and preserve the Native American Arts and Crafts. For further information, here are a few links to these organizations and their missions...

- Council for Indigenous Arts and Culture
“The Council for Indigenous Arts and Culture (CIAC) is a non-profit charitable, research and educational foundation established to foster, develop and contribute to the support and understanding of authentic Native American arts, crafts, customs, traditions and cultures. Its mission is to; promote public understanding and awareness of handmade Native American arts and crafts, research the past, present and future impacts of Native American arts and crafts, conduct educational programs to promote recognition of authentic Native American arts and crafts, Serve as a clearinghouse of information available to artists and the general public on the public laws, and public and private resources and services related to Native American arts and crafts.”

- Indian Arts and Crafts Association
“IACA works to support the effective protection, ethical promotion of authentic Native American art and preservation of material culture has helped instill confidence in the consumer marketplace. Through its markets, educational publications, cultural programs, seminars and networking to enable artists’ work to reach a global market, IACA has played an integral role in the strengthening of the Indian arts and crafts industry. Consumers know that if they see the IACA logo, they can buy with confidence.”