Jewelry

[Kachina624]

Sedona is truly one of the most beautiful places on earth, but it's not the best for shopping because it's so "touristy".  Last time I was there mom & dad bought a rug at Garland's.  I didn't like it.  I loved their museum quality kachina dolls.

Santa Fe is also expensive but I've managed to dicker on prices.  You can get the same stuff in Albuquerque a lot cheaper.  I've never bought "pawn" because I've heard that most of isn't really pawn.  I've been told you should ask to see the original pawn ticket.

its funny you two Easteners became so entranced with Southwestern jewelry.  My parents were natives of Colorado and mom was always into Indian culture, even though we lived in the Eastern half of the country.  When they moved to NM, she was a docent at the Pueblo Indian Cultural Center.  An oil of Shiprock has always hung over our fireplace.  Now it's over mine.  I was brainwashed, but my sister couldn't care less about Indian anything.

[AliJoi5]

Oh yes, I'm very familiar with Garlands @patbz!  I've visited their website many a times and drooled over my keyboard.  Thanks for the suggestions!  I hope to make my SW rounds within the next year.  Work is too crazy right now to start planning just yet, unfortunately.

[AliJoi5]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

When they moved to NM, she was a docent at the Pueblo Indian Cultural Center.  An oil of Shiprock has always hung over our fireplace.  Now it's over mine.  I was brainwashed, but my sister couldn't care less about Indian anything.

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Wow so you were indoctrinated at an early age @Kachina624!  What an interesting story.  You're so very lucky to live in the heart of it all.  The story of how I became enamored with all things Native American and SW is not nearly as romantic, nor does it have as much street cred.  lol  As a child, we went to Disney every year on our vacation.  In the Mexico pavilion of the World Showcase in EPCOT, they had a jewelry store... all of it Mexican handmade sterling and natural stones.  I bought my first turquoise ring (which I still have) when I was 12.  I started to branch out to Native American from there.  But as you can imagine, that's not easy to do round these parts!  The pow wows in CT aided in my search quite a bit though.  Then more and more shops and dealers started opening online stores.  The rest is history and my love affair continues. 

By the way, in one of my turq books, there is a shot of a lander blue squash blossom necklace.  I'll have to either find it online or take a pic of it and post it for you.  Incredible!

Hope everyone is well! 

[AliJoi5]

This isn't the one, but I found this baby while googling the book I was talking about.  Whaddaya say @Kachina624... wanna go halfsies and time share this baby? 

CLICK HERE

[Bird mama]

Wowsa

[Kachina624]

We'd have to have us and a couple dozen friends to buy that necklace.  I wonder if they'd rent it?  We could at least have our pictures taken in it.  That stone like most Lander Blue is breathtaking.

[AliJoi5]

And they just had to put "yearning to be worn" in the description!  Do you think if I email them and say I am likewise "yearning to wear it," they will give me a discount of like $30k? 

[AliJoi5]

Hey ladies... had to resurrect this thread to see if any of you collectors are familiar with a Jason Livingston (Navajo)?  I googled him but didn't find very much.  I bought this collar last month... said to be over 100 cts. of natural bisbee.  The color is a beautiful, almost translucent deep teal-blue in person, but the matrix is not the rich chocolate/lavender color we typically know and love from bisbee.  The stones have black, dark brown, and even white matrix at parts.  It is clearly an older piece, and the sterling was completely black with tarnish when it came to me.  It took me an hour to polish it.  In any event, I ordered an email eval from the Turquoise Museum.  I was told there was a type of bisbee known for its dark blues and deeper colored matrices.  Who knows for certain, but I do love the necklace and got in at a pretty decent price.  Any input on the artist?  Or bisbee variances?  @Kachina624?  TIA!

[Kachina624]

@AliJoi5.  Speaking of treating oneself....girl, you do it big-time!  What a gorgeous necklace, but you're right it's not what I'd consider traditional Bisbee as it doesn't have the lavender "cloud".  Compare it to my Bisbee cross bracelet...completely different.  It'll be interesting to see what the Turquoise Museum guy has to say.  Regardless, the stones are gorgeous; some of the nicest I've ever seen.  I hope you have your collection heavily insured.

[Kachina624]

@AliJoi5. I was reading back on this thread where you said you may be planning a trip to the SW.  I thought I'd mention that The Gathering of Nations Powwow, the nation's largest, is held here every April.  Of course Santa Fe's Indian Market is in August...you'll have to decide which.  Maybe both?