What To Look For When Purchasing Native American Jewelry

• Native American jewelry is another money-making item flooding the market. As such, to buy or collect genuine Native American jewelry, questions have to be asked...

• Silver content - Most sterling silver jewelry is just that. Sterling, by definition, is 92.5% pure (or called .925 silver) with the remaining content as an alloy. Native American sterling is usually, but not always, stamped "sterling" somewhere on the back...vintage and antique Native American silver jewelry may not have "Sterling" noted anywhere on the piece. Monetary silver, or coin silver, is a blend of 90% silver and 10% other metals. Before silver was made available commercially, American and Mexican coins were melted down for jewelry, which is a more accurate reflection of tradition.

• Craftsmanship - the silver should not be so thin that the piece will bend or break with normal use; the pattern should be regular and well-defined; the stones should be well-set and good quality.

• A tradmark of the IACA, affiliate tribe or artist may be stamped somewhere on the piece. If the artisan is a member of the IACA, or an affiliate tribe, the trademark is officially licensed with the trademark office.

• Don't be swayed by price alone...a "bargain" doesn't necessarily mean a good value.

• Older silver jewelry will not be as highly polished - there was no electric polishing wheel.

• Heishi jewelry will have a uniform consistency. If you pull it gently through your hand, it should feel like a single serpent-like piece

• Popular Native American jewelry patterns are widely copied and enhanced by the artist's own vision. Most high-quality silver jewelry is the work of an artist or family or artists, making the entire piece a design original to them. Reputable galleries, trading posts and craft stores will tell you the source of the item, and if the piece was made by a well-known artist, the piece may have their name or initials on it. A certificate of authenticity and/or biography of the artist may be available as well.

• One more tidbit...today's artisans are not necessarily staying with traditional motifs and designs. So much so that when you look at an artist's work, it's hard to say if it's Zuni, Hopi or Navajo. The design crosses over all traditions, opening up room for innovation by these cutting-edge artisans.

It's Up to You, But...

Currently, the market for "old pawn" or "dead pawn" southwest Native American jewelry has been increasing. This is antique jewelry that was either pawned by those in desperate financial straits and never reclaimed or else taken away from families by debt collectors or thieves. Although modern dealers haven't done anything illegal, most of the antique jewelry was acquired through trickery, usury, thievery, extortion or due to extreme poverty or addiction. Buying or collecting this jewelry is not supporting the artisans who are currently practicing their art nor is it sending any monies back to the families of those who owned it. So, please...support the ongoing Native American jewelry-making tradition!!!!

You can also go the The Indian Arts and Crafts Association for a listing of registered and certified Native American Artisans. Above all, any art form being marketed as a genuine Native American handcrafted item must legally be just that. The spirit of the law is that any artwork or craft fashioned by a Native American, the artisan must be a member of an Indian Tribe, and their membership has been verified and certified.

These Native American jewelry artisans and all Indian artisans are practicing their art perhaps as a livelihood. And, through their art, they are keeping their culture, history and spirituality alive.

Native American Arts has free e-books covering the subjects of Collecting and Fraudulence that are excellent!

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