Old Pawn Native American Indian Jewelry (2024)

Vintage Navajo, Zuni, and Hopi turquoise:No traveler in the Southwest can ignore the abundance of gorgeous silver and turquoise jewelry available at every turn. Old Pawn jewelry is our specialty - authenticity guaranteed. Hundreds of pieces of antique Native American jewelry online. We purchase our old pawn from estates, private collections, and directly from the reservation. To learn more about specific jewelry makers, please see the Medicine Man GalleryNative American Jewelry Hallmarks image database.

Old pawn Native American jewelry has been at the heart of the Southwest economy and culture for roughly 150 years. Its demand is greater than ever among collectors who want authentic jewelry that has actually been worn and coveted by the indigenous people who created it which is becoming scarcer and more valuable by the day.The Navajo had traditionally measured their wealth in terms of livestock and blankets. However, after their release from four years of confinement at the Bosque de Redondo in 1868 they returned to a more sedentary lifestyle restricted to their reservation and needed new sources of income.Atsidi Saani was the first Navajo who learned blacksmithing at Fort Defiance, Arizona, in the 1850s. In the 1870s he applied this knowledge to silversmithing and taught others these skills. The first Navajo silversmithing was applied to horse bridles, but quickly spread to bracelets and other forms of jewelry. Turquoise began showing up in Navajo jewelry in the 1880s, but sparingly at first. This was the same time that the railroads reached the Southwest and a market for Native American jewelry opened up selling to the new tourists coming to the area.Much of this early Navajo handcrafted jewelry shows remarkable expert workmanship for the relatively simple tools the jewelers had at the time. They would work the metal with silversmithing tools made from the hardened steel springs of wagons, old iron files and chisels.Silver jewelry making also spread to the Hopi and the other Pueblo peoples. The Zuni became extremely skilled at lapidary cutting – creating intricate delicate inlaid turquoise and coral designs on bracelets, belt buckles and pins.Because Native Americans had no access to cash or banks on reservations, jewelry became a portable form wealth not only used on the reservation as barter, but as the widespread commodity of exchange with the traders for cash and supplies.In times of need, Native American turquoise jewelry could be pawned to authorized agents and pawn shops that were springing up along the boundaries of the reservation. The lender would give the Native Americans credit using the pawned jewelry as collateral to guarantee that the loan would be repaid within a specified period of time – usually 90 days to one year. The rate of interest on the loan was regulated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs at 10% a year. The terms of most loans were 120 days and could be renewed by paying the interest.While 70-85% of the jewelry pawned in this manner was usually paid off and reclaimed, the items that were not were then known as “dead pawn”. After a certain grace period most traders would grant to maintain good relations with their Native American clients, the unclaimed jewelry would be placed on public display for sale to repay the dept. When family elders died, their jewelry was also often pawned in this manner to receive cash which could then be split up among the heirs.What makes old pawn jewelry so special is that this is the jewelry the Native Americans made for themselves and wore as adornment and a display of wealth that was often passed down in families over generations. There would often be a lot of movement of jewelry in and out of the pawn shops during the summer ceremonies and dances as the pawn shops were also a way of keeping this jewelry safe for the Navajo - who were herders and moved with their flocks - much like putting one's money in a bank for safekeeping.Authentic old pawn jewelry usually has a dark satin patina tarnish that has not been polished. The turquoise stones often have a greenish tinge that comes with wear taking on the oils of the skin. It’s exactly this natural antique wear from years of daily use and adornment in the dances and ceremonies - together with its heavy weight in thick ingot silver and that the turquoise is genuine natural turquoise which has not been “stabilized” or soaked in plastic to harden it - which is what gives old pawn jewelry such highly sought after demand and lasting value.

The earliest Navajo silver jewelry started in the 1870s with ingot jewelry that was American silver dollars or Mexican silver pesos that were melted and hand hammered into silver jewelry. It became common at a certain point around the turn of the twentieth century for Native American laborers to demand their payment in silver coins they could turn into jewelry.One of the things to look for authenticating early Navajo ingot jewelry is craquelure - which is a very fine kind of breakage that looks like spider webbing. This indicates the piece was not made from machine milled sheet metal, but was an ingot that was forged and hand hammered showing the impressions of the tool marks. Craquelure is a very important identifier of authenticity.

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Old Pawn Native American Indian Jewelry (2024)

FAQs

What does "old pawn" mean in Native American jewelry? ›

Old Pawn jewelry gets its name from its history. Starting in the early 1900s, pawning jewelry was a common practice between Native Americans and traders. Native Americans pawned jewelry in times of need, meaning most pieces were family heirlooms containing valuable turquoise and silver.

How to tell if jewelry is an old pawn? ›

Authentic old pawn jewelry usually has a dark satin patina tarnish that has not been polished. The turquoise stones often have a greenish tinge that comes with wear taking on the oils of the skin.

How to identify old Native American jewelry? ›

A genuine piece will have no wavering lines or lopsided designs, well-cut stones that are uniform in size, and no visible glue between the metal and stone. Also be on the lookout for sterling silver versus silver-plated jewelry. A quick way to tell the difference is to hold a small magnet to the piece.

What are the two categories of Native American jewelry? ›

There are two main types of Inlay, stone-to-stone inlay and channel inlay. When the stones are shaped and worked to sit directly next to each other this is considered stone-to-stone inlay. The inlaid stonework is sometimes worked in-between metal channels that separate the stones from each other.

Is Native American jewelry worth anything? ›

You might think there's not much value to them, when on the contrary, these pieces can command high prices at auction. Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, many Native American craftsmen would pawn their jewelry for cash at trading posts along the railway.

Is it OK to wear Native American jewelry? ›

Native artists will only sell items that it's okay for you—whether you're Native or not—to wear. They will not sell regalia, sacred items or symbols, or other ceremonial pieces, so when you purchase an item from an actual Native artist you are getting a piece that's okay for you to wear, love, and proudly display.

Is jewelry Native American legit? ›

Before buying a piece, inspect it to determine its quality. Take a close look at the design features. Authentic Native American jewelry does not have wavering lines. There is no visible glue between the metal and the stone, and stones used in Native American jewelry are accurately cut.

What is the difference between old pawn and dead pawn? ›

The term "Old Pawn" can even be used today, as pieces are still pawned to brokers. If the sum of money given in loan for the piece is not paid back in time, the piece will be marked "Dead Pawn" and put out for sale.

How do you know if old jewelry is valuable? ›

We recommend taking the piece to a jeweler to be tested. They will have professional tests that will determine whether your jewelry is real as well as the purity of the metal itself. A certified appraiser will be able to provide the value of the piece as well.

How to authenticate Native American jewelry? ›

Authentic Native American jewelry is often handmade and exhibits the artist's unique touch. Look for irregularities and imperfections that are indicative of hand craftsmanship. Machine-made jewelry tends to be perfectly symmetrical, with uniform semi-precious stones and clear, unwavering lines.

Is it illegal to sell Native American jewelry? ›

It is illegal to market art or craftwork using the name of a Native Nation if a citizen or a certified Indian artisan of that nation did not actually create the art or craftwork.

Is all Native American jewelry marked? ›

Today, most Native American jewelry, hollowware and flatware is identified by artist's initials, names or symbols that are stamped or etched onto their creations. However, that has not always been the case. In the 1920s only a few Native Americans marked their work with their initial(s), name or personal symbol.

What is the oldest Native American jewelry? ›

The earliest known examples of North American jewelry are four bone earrings found at the Mead Site, near Fairbanks, Alaska that date back 12,000 years. Beginning as far back as 8800 BCE, Paleo-Indians in the American Southwest drilled and shaped multicolored stones and shells into beads and pendants.

How can you tell the difference between Navajo and Zuni jewelry? ›

Big silver and large stones, good chance it is Navajo. Small stones, cluster, or inlay and you have a reason to believe the work is Zuni. The piece is all silver, overlay, and the bottom oxidized part has a very fine texture and you just might have a piece of Hopi work.

What does pawn mean in Jewellery? ›

To pawn something is to use it as collateral when you're borrowing money. When you pawn a necklace at a pawn shop, you get cash in exchange for it with the understanding that you can buy it back later.

What does a pawn signify? ›

pawn noun (GAME PIECE)

a person who does not have any real power but is used by others to achieve something: The refugees are pawns in an international political dispute.

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