The 1970s Native American Jewelry Boom

Did you ever wonder why there are so many Native American jewelry items from the late 1960s and early 1970s?

Those were the times of peace and love, alternative dress, hippies, movie stars going wild and a big publicity boost for Native American jewelry from Arizona Highways magazine and other publications.

Although many celebrities began wearing Native American jewelry in the late 60s and early 70s, perhaps two of the most influential were Jim Morrison of the Doors and Cher.

Jim Morrison of The Doors

During the late 1960s when the Doors were at the height of their fame, Jim Morrison bought a concho belt from Wayne and Irma Bailey when they were traveling in California.  Joe H. Quintana (1915-1991), a Cochiti Pueblo master silversmith was the maker of this famous belt.  Quintana likely made the belt in 1966 or 1967 when he worked for Irma Bailey’s Indian Art & Pawn on the Old Town Plaza in Albuquerque.

Cher wearing a squash blossom necklace and other turquoise jewelry

The Sonny and Cher Show

Cher (Cherilyn Sarkisian of Armenian, Irish, German, English and Cherokee descent) has used Native American jewelry and accents throughout her career from 1965 and has had a dramatic influence on fashion. Her album Half Breed was release in 1973.

As a result of such publicity, everyone wanted some of the action !!

One of the most popular items made in the 1970s were squash blossom necklaces. There was a huge demand for them. It is also one of the most common vintage items offered to us today. The retail price of a squash blossom necklace during the early 1970s boom was the same or higher than the same item today. And often they were full size, heavy and ornate, something that doesn’t sell well today because a good number of people would rather wear than collect Native American jewelry.

During the boom some beautiful items were made. However, to cash in on the demand, some shops and silversmiths cranked out the items, sometimes with inferior workmanship and maybe the work wasn’t even done by Native American artists.

One thing that wasn’t skimped on was the sterling silver. Silver was only  $1.29 per ounce when Jim Morrison’s belt was made in 1966. Today silver is trading at $27.27 per ounce.  Read more about silver prices here. How Silver Price Affects the Value of Native American Jewelry

Back in the late 1960s there was ample US mined turquoise around to fill needs but as demand rose, Persian turquoise began to be imported from Iran.  In the 1970s a one carat U.S. turquoise stone would be considered expensive at $1. Today some of the more sought-after U.S. turquoise can cost up to $100 per carat.

Because of the great demand, the 1970s experienced the first BIG influx of imported copies and reproductions which gave some people the idea that Native American jewelry was chintzy and poorly made.

The boom crashed about the mid seventies when the fashion cycle started changing and the silver price started rising, hitting an artificially inflated high near $50 per ounce in the late seventies.

What mine is this turquoise from and what is the value of this squash blossom necklace?

Hello Paula,

All of the black matrix you see contains pyrite; some dark spots in the photo are exclusively pyrite. Most are mixed with the black matrix, however. Notice the quarter for size comparison. All the stones rise at least 1/8″ above their settings, and some rise as high as 1/4″ or higher. Amazing, right? The earrings appear to have hand engraved rising suns on them (the suns are not identical, causing me to think they were hand carved, however they may have been distorted during the shaping of the petals?). I love this necklace so much, as both my folks have passed. Knowing they wanted me to have it makes me feel very blessed.

I sent you the photo in natural undirected sunlight, but I also took a couple pics in direct sunlight around 8:00 this morning, before the skies became overcast (we’re expecting freezing rain here in northwest Ohio this evening. great). If you want me to send a photo of the piece in direct sunlight, I can. The pyrite shows up better in the sun.

Much to my delight, I rediscovered the Fred Harvey bracelet my parents gave me as a child, and set it next to the necklace for you to look at as well. I had a copper one also, but I hated it, and either traded it for a plastic animal with one of my childhood friends or threw it out altogether. Regrets!!!

If you venture a guess on the value of these pieces as you try to determine the mine this turquoise is from, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Sincerely,

Sydney

Good morning Sydney,

Beautiful sentimental treasure.

Without seeing it in person, I can’t say for sure, but I’d narrow it down to Blue Diamond, Kingman or Morenci.

We don’t appraise or give value from photos.

Enjoy ! That’s the main thing. Turquoise has a great power and feel to it.

I’m going to post the photo of your necklace on my blog so if anyone else has other ideas on the stones, they can chime in.

Paula

Dear Paula,

Thank you so much for your input, I appreciate it very much. Per your knowledge of turquoise and my further research, I am pretty sure the stones in my squash blossom necklace are from the Blue Diamond hat mine. I’m pretty happy about that. I knew it started production in the 1950′s and stopped in the 80′s. The mine is now buried under thousands of tons of rock, making Blue Diamond turquoise highly collectible today.

In the descriptions I’ve read, Blue Diamond is known for the triangular-shaped black chert, which is readily seen in the stones of my necklace. This is why I believe my stones are Blue Diamond. Plus, the pyrite is not silver colored as in the Kingman turquoise. Morenci turquoise doesn’t exhibit the black chert so recognizable in Blue Diamond. So, by process of elimination, I have concluded my squash blossom stones are Blue Diamond turquoise.

It will be interesting to read the input from your blog after you post the photo of the necklace. I’m no expert, but as in all things, when I become interested in something, I become a super sleuth until my desire for knowledge has been satiated. I too welcome your readers’ input.

Thank you for indulging me with this sleuthing, it’s been much fun, and of course I love the products on Horsekeeping,com.

Blessings,

Sydney

Southwest Art Defined

I was contacted a while back about permission to use one of the photos from our website in a book. I gave that permission and then forgot about it.

So I was surprised when we received a thank you note and complimentary copy of  a lovely new book “Southwest Art Defined: An Illustrated Guide” by Margaret Moore Booker and published by Rio Nuevo Publishers.

It is a beautiful 11″ x 9 1/4″ hardbound book with dust jacket. Here is what the publisher says

Southwest Art Defined, by Santa Fe author Margaret Moore Booker, is now available! This beautiful hardcover book brings the traditional arts of the Southwest are brought together in one volume for the first time. Almost 500 comprehensive descriptions of Native American and Hispano art are accompanied by 370 full-color photographs of art from museums, galleries, and private collections. Lose yourself in the stunning pottery, textiles, jewelry, carvings, and architecture of the Southwest.

Turquoise with black and white in it……..is it valuable?

Is turquoise with black and white in it valuable? Any information would be appreciated. John

Hi John,

The black is matrix which is striking and somewhat common in certain mines such as Kingman, Sleeping Beauty, and other mines.

Most rough blocks of turquoise contain splotches or veins of the mother rock in which it formed.  This can include white kaolinite which is a clay mineral. Both matrix and clay deposits can affect the color and toughness of the turquoise stone and its workability for the Native American jeweler.

In general, I would say dark matrix (black, chocolate brown, rust, gold etc.) is desirable and white inclusions, not so much because the white is associated with a more chalky consistency, therefore less tough. I’d be happy to hear the opinion of others. Paula

Is the Turquoise in the Heishi Necklaces Real?

Hi Paula,

I received my package today. Thank you for such a careful and professional packing, fast delivery and beautiful necklace. I do have a question. Is the tourquoise stablized and dyed or stablized but real? Is it chalk tourquoise? I am sure I will wear it to death because it is what I wanted and the price is excellent. I am just curious. Please let me know. Thanks. Shelly

Hi Shelly.

Most of your questions are answered here in an article where I try to describe all the forms of turquoise – All About Turquoise.

Most heishi turquoise is stabilized because if it wasn’t, it would be brittle and could crack. Also, when natural turquoise comes in contact with skin oils of the neck area, it would become discolored. So stabilization helps prevent that too. Some turquoise heishi is enhanced which further strengthens it and could make its color more vivid. You’ll read about these terms in that article.

When you say chalk turquoise, are you referring to “block turquoise”?  Block turquoise is a manufactured composite product, with little if any real turquoise in it. No, the turquoise heishi necklaces are not block turquoise. Most are stabilized real turquoise, some are also enhanced.

Greetings From France – I Love Your Beautiful Watches

Dear Paula,

I have spent many hours happily browsing through all the wonderful watches on your web site. I am hoping to order one for my birthday, but at the moment undecided between the Mother of Pearl Pawn Watch with the little chips of gems in the watch face or possibly the blue needlepoint watch. Before ordering, however, I’ve a couple of questions, if that’s OK?

 

I live in France and wonder quite what the situation is with shipping i.e. a vague idea of price, and also whether I would have to pay customs duty on the watch, and if so, would it be expensive and difficult to obtain delivery of the watch.

My other question is, I was originally looking for a watch with turquoise and coral, or perhaps a bear paw, or bear design, and wonder if you have anything like this, or similar, in your collection that might interest me, I’m quite happy with a pawn watch, there seem to be some wonderful watches on the “sold” site!

I shall look forward to your reply.

Many thanks,

Melanie

Hi Melanie,

We ship to France all the time. Once you decide on the watch and you place your order, just choose France from the drop down menu under “Country” and it will show the shipping. That shipping figure is an estimate, it could be a little bit lower or higher. We will let you know and make the appropriate adjustments. I know international shipping is scheduled for a substantial increase next week. We ship Priority International with insurance.

As far as customs, we do not know specific customs rules of the various countries, so you will have to find out that information in your country. I’m pretty sure that you will have to pay a duty in France to receive your items. You should always check ahead of time to see how packages are handled once they have cleared customs. Sometimes they are delivered by the postal service and sometimes by a courier service.

Watches in the pawn shop

http://www.horsekeeping.com/jewelry/pawn/cr/watches/all-pawn-watches.htm

come AS IS. We have listed all mens and womens watches on the same page. Sometimes we put a new watch face and/or band on a pawn watch and if so, we will note that in the description.

These are our new watches – all come with a new watch face, fresh battery, and watch band to fit your wrist.

http://www.horsekeeping.com/jewelry/watches/watches-ladies.htm

Have fun making a decision !

Paula

Who is the artist and do you sell on consignment?

Hi Paula,

Could you let me know if you know the artist and if you sell on consignment?

Brian

Hi Brian,

That is a nice vintage claw ring you have. The signature made on the back with an inscriber or and “electric pencil” as the Native American artists call it……….looks like Michael M which could be quite a few artists. Hallmark stamps are usually more definitive but I can’t really say for sure who made the claw ring  – but nice turquoise !!

As far as consignment, let me take this opportunity to define that.

Consignment is when the owner of an item places it with a seller hoping that the seller can market the item and then send the owner a portion of the proceeds. Oh my gosh, just thinking about all that paperwork and keeping track of this and that makes my head spin !!

No, we don’t take items on consignment. But we do purchase Native American jewelery (several lots a week) as outlined in my article “Do we Buy Native American Jewelry?”.

The Origin of the Bolo Tie

Origin of the Bolo Tie

Silversmith Victor Cedarstaff of Wickenburg, Arizona, claims to have invented the bolo tie in 1948.

According to an article in Sunset magazine:

Victor Cedarstaff was riding his horse one day when his hat blew off. Wary of losing the silver-trimmed hatband, he slipped it around his neck. His companion joked, “That’s a nice-looking tie you’re wearing, Vic.” An idea incubated, and Cedarstaff soon fashioned the first bola tie (the name is derived from boleadora, an Argentine lariat).

Boleadoras or bolas (from Spanish bola, “ball”) are throwing weapons made of weights attached to the end of cords.

However, it is also said that the bolo tie is a North American pioneer creation that dates back to between 1866 and 1886. There is a bolo tie on display at a trading post in Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico, said to date back that far.

A recent exhibit at The Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona entitled Native American Bolo Ties: Vintage and Contemporary generated renewed interest in bolos.

This is from the Heard Museum:

The distinctive tie originated in the Southwest, and its popularity quickly spread throughout the West and in many other parts of the country. The necktie has been made even more distinguished by contemporary American Indian artists in Arizona, who make bolo ties that are exquisite expressions of individuality and ingenuity.

Bolo ties, representing the casual nature and somewhat rugged milieu of the West, emerged as a form of men’s neckwear in the 1940s. They directly countered business suits as well as the formality suits represented, and instead marked a different style and a different way of life. In particular, American Indian jewelers and silversmiths brought individuality and creativity to this art form, offering a broad range of unique and artistic options.

Western wear, including the bolo tie, was popularized through 1950s television shows and movies. Some TV and movie personalities who brought scarf slides and bolo ties into the everyday vernacular include the Cisco Kid, Hopalong Cassidy and Roy Rogers. Bolo ties have been created by American Indian jewelers since the late 1940s and they continue to create them today.

The bolo tie’s road to acquiring the status of Arizona’s official neckwear took place over several years. KOOL Channel 10′s anchor Bill Close and five other bolo tie enthusiasts met in 1966 at the Westward Ho Hotel in downtown Phoenix. From the beginning, their intent was to make the bolo tie a state emblem. Perhaps to help the cause, Arizona Highways Magazine devoted several pages of its October 1966 issue to Southwestern jewelry, including bolo ties. Help arrived when Governor Jack Williams proclaimed the first week of March 1969 as “Bolo Tie Week.” After several unsuccessful attempts, a bill making the bolo tie the official state neckwear was finally passed on April 22, 1971. The bolo tie is also the official neckwear of New Mexico and Texas, although Arizona was the first state to designate it as such.

Turquoise Inlay Navajo Pearls

I received a beautiful set of vintage sterling silver and turquoise Navajo Pearls last year  – They are inscribed with “MW” on a hallmark disk.

This is the first necklace like this I’ve seen so I asked some friends who have been in the NA jewelry business their whole lives about the necklace and thought I’d share what they said.

I was told the beads were made by in the mid 1970s by Navajo silversmith Martha Wilson and the inlay was done by a Zuni artist, Rosemary White.  Martha Wilson worked out of the Bluewater Lake area.  Has anyone else seen Navajo Pearls like this?  Paula

Navajo Ketoh – Bow Guard

A Ketoh is a heavy wrist band to protect an archer from the snap of the bow string.

Originally they were plain thick leather straps. Once silvermsithing became a part of Navajo life, ketohs began to be decorated with silver and stones, usually turquoise.

Ketohs were made by and for Native Americans, not the market. Now there is no practical use for these wrist guards but they are worn on special occasions by both men and women.

The bow guard shown in these photos is vintage (1970s) but unused.