REAL Native American Jewelry~

I have family who lived in Santa Fe for about 8 years. My grandmother on my mother's side lived in Phoenix for as long as I can remember and she loved all things native american. I still have a ring that she bought for me when I was about 10, and I have it tucked away and should wear it. It is a larger stone, and I am not even sure what it is, but I was thinking maybe carnelian. I gravitate to those colors. When we used to visit my grandmother when I was young, I just knew my heart belonged in the west. I still have time left to actually move there......if I can convince my husband who loves all things water.


Maybe Lake Powell area as a compromise? I've always been drawn to all things southwestern too, even when I was a little kid and had never been there. I remember one time when I was bored at my grandparents house drawing basically promotional flyers for Arizona with highlighters. Obsessed with a place I had never been! Someone should have gotten me a subscription to Arizona Highways magazine. I also remember another time I was bored because my mom and grandmother had dragged me to a jewelry store, and I told them they were boring and materialistic and I would never be obsessed with jewelry. Ha, the irony, my mom still brings that up. But it hadn't occurred to me yet that I could combine jewelry with my love of the southwest.
 
Nice combination! Spiny oyster? I thought it was coral..duh. I’m starting to take a second look at the silver also. Is the middle silver bracelet also a Native American piece? If they’re not signed, how could one tell? Do they have certain styles..:confused1:
the two tone bracelet in the middle and the turquoise one are both by Jennifer Curtis. They are signed. The spiny oyster one is by Don Lucas (also signed). Jennifer is the daughter of Thomas Curtis, a pretty well known Navajo artist. She produces everything herself I think. Don Lucas I'm not sure about. There seems to be a lot of his stuff around. I think looking at the website he may have started on his own but maybe has other people working for him now.
Most of my NA jewelry is from Oggs Hogan. I know he is reputable and knows what he's talking about so I guess I don't really have to be able to tell :smile:
However that being said, I also have a beautiful larger turquoise bracelet that is signed. I don't know who the artist is. Jeff at Oggs looked at it, was impressed with it and didn't recognize the artist's stamp. He thought it was old. The person who sold it to me said it was new. So sometimes you can just get something you like and it doesn't matter.
 
Little story here.
As a teen and 20- something living in Denver in the 70’s, of course I had my turquoise & coral pieces.
Forward to my mid-30’s. Full time working mom of toddler boy & infant girl whose husband worked opposite shift so the children only spent 3 hours daily in daycare.
I’m downstairs nursing baby girl, toddler son had toddled upstairs. I hear a prolonged banging sound, upstairs baby girl & I go to see what my son was doing.... he’d found a hammer and pounded my jewelry into ruin.
By this point I wasn’t wearing it much. I kept it in a jewelry box and he decided I didn’t like it, I guess.
Sigh.
Oh:sad::sad::sad:
 
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Little story here.
As a teen and 20- something living in Denver in the 70’s, of course I had my turquoise & coral pieces.
Forward to my mid-30’s. Full time working mom of toddler boy & infant girl whose husband worked opposite shift so the children only spent 3 hours daily in daycare.
I’m downstairs nursing baby girl, toddler son had toddled upstairs. I hear a prolonged banging sound, upstairs baby girl & I go to see what my son was doing.... he’d found a hammer and pounded my jewelry into ruin.
By this point I wasn’t wearing it much. I kept it in a jewelry box and he decided I didn’t like it, I guess.
Sigh.

Oh :wtf: I am traumatized. Have you told him?
 
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the two tone bracelet in the middle and the turquoise one are both by Jennifer Curtis. They are signed. The spiny oyster one is by Don Lucas (also signed). Jennifer is the daughter of Thomas Curtis, a pretty well known Navajo artist. She produces everything herself I think. Don Lucas I'm not sure about. There seems to be a lot of his stuff around. I think looking at the website he may have started on his own but maybe has other people working for him now.
Most of my NA jewelry is from Oggs Hogan. I know he is reputable and knows what he's talking about so I guess I don't really have to be able to tell :smile:
However that being said, I also have a beautiful larger turquoise bracelet that is signed. I don't know who the artist is. Jeff at Oggs looked at it, was impressed with it and didn't recognize the artist's stamp. He thought it was old. The person who sold it to me said it was new. So sometimes you can just get something you like and it doesn't matter.

Yes that is the right approach in the end. Jewelry (like art) is both an intellectual and emotional pursuit..if one doesn’t like it, it’s not worn..so in the parlance of Marie Kondo, it must spark joy:smile:
Thank you
 
the two tone bracelet in the middle and the turquoise one are both by Jennifer Curtis. They are signed. The spiny oyster one is by Don Lucas (also signed). Jennifer is the daughter of Thomas Curtis, a pretty well known Navajo artist. She produces everything herself I think. Don Lucas I'm not sure about. There seems to be a lot of his stuff around. I think looking at the website he may have started on his own but maybe has other people working for him now.
Most of my NA jewelry is from Oggs Hogan. I know he is reputable and knows what he's talking about so I guess I don't really have to be able to tell :smile:
However that being said, I also have a beautiful larger turquoise bracelet that is signed. I don't know who the artist is. Jeff at Oggs looked at it, was impressed with it and didn't recognize the artist's stamp. He thought it was old. The person who sold it to me said it was new. So sometimes you can just get something you like and it doesn't matter.

Don Lucas is actually Anglo. If I'm remembering correctly, I think he learned the craft from Native Americans. These are all three beautiful bracelets. You've totally sold me on Oggs Hogan; I hope I can get there one day. Have you posted the large signed turquoise bracelet? We would love to see that one!
 
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Don Lucas is actually Anglo. If I'm remembering correctly, I think he learned the craft from Native Americans. These are all three beautiful bracelets. You've totally sold me on Oggs Hogan; I hope I can get there one day. Have you posted the large signed turquoise bracelet? We would love to see that one!
Yes, if you can get to Oggs Hogan go. I imagine Jeff will run it until he dies. He's probably in his 70's.

here's a picture I posted on a turquoise thread.....I'm not the best photographer but anyway
turquoise-bracelet-jpg.3433733
 
Maybe Lake Powell area as a compromise? I've always been drawn to all things southwestern too, even when I was a little kid and had never been there. I remember one time when I was bored at my grandparents house drawing basically promotional flyers for Arizona with highlighters. Obsessed with a place I had never been! Someone should have gotten me a subscription to Arizona Highways magazine. I also remember another time I was bored because my mom and grandmother had dragged me to a jewelry store, and I told them they were boring and materialistic and I would never be obsessed with jewelry. Ha, the irony, my mom still brings that up. But it hadn't occurred to me yet that I could combine jewelry with my love of the southwest.
Oh...my gosh!! My grandmother would send me Arizona Highway and Arizona Sunset magazines all the time and I would read them and reread them...[emoji4][emoji4] My art projects in school always involved sunsets and cacti. Haha....the nuns who taught me art always asked me why I chose cacti and desert scenes when we lived in the frozen north of Michigan....you brought back memories for me!!!![emoji5] [emoji5] [emoji5]
 
I just want to say that I have learned so much just from participating in this wonderful thread. There are so many stories that are told and untold in just about every single piece here. I have gone back several times to the very first page just to admire every single piece. I don't know if I said this before, but I have told my husband many times over that if we ever moved to New Mexico or Arizona, I would be in deep, deep trouble because I would want to have it all.
Me too, Compass Rose, me, too!
 
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Oh...my gosh!! My grandmother would send me Arizona Highway and Arizona Sunset magazines all the time and I would read them and reread them...[emoji4][emoji4] My art projects in school always involved sunsets and cacti. Haha....the nuns who taught me art always asked me why I chose cacti and desert scenes when we lived in the frozen north of Michigan....you brought back memories for me!!!![emoji5] [emoji5] [emoji5]

I, too was raised by nuns in Michigan! (well raised by parents but the nuns definitely ran the show tightly at school!)
 
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Little story here.
As a teen and 20- something living in Denver in the 70’s, of course I had my turquoise & coral pieces.
Forward to my mid-30’s. Full time working mom of toddler boy & infant girl whose husband worked opposite shift so the children only spent 3 hours daily in daycare.
I’m downstairs nursing baby girl, toddler son had toddled upstairs. I hear a prolonged banging sound, upstairs baby girl & I go to see what my son was doing.... he’d found a hammer and pounded my jewelry into ruin.
By this point I wasn’t wearing it much. I kept it in a jewelry box and he decided I didn’t like it, I guess.
Sigh.
Oh no!
 
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