Native American Objets d'Art and Vertu

Sterling Silver Buckle with Hand-Stamped Designs and set with Natural Lone Mountain Turquoise. Made for a 1 ¼” belt. The Lone Mountain Turquoise Mine is located in Esmeralda County, Nevada. This turquoise is known for its ability to hold color and not fade. Lone Mountain turquoise ranges in color from clear blue to intense blue spiderweb. The mine is also known as the Blue Jay Mine. Lone Mountain turquoise ranks higher than most other turquoise on the hardness scale, which may explain one of the unique qualities of these stones. About the Artist Fidel Bahe was born in 1949 at Keams Canyon, Arizona. He is the firstborn of eight children--two sisters and five brothers. He studied architecture and engineering at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff before taking up silversmithing at the age of 24. Fidel focused on traditional Navajo designs with his own creative style. In 1976, Preston Monongye...

Hollow Form Sterling Silver Western Belt Buckle with Overlaid Petroglyph Designs and set with Natural Lone Mountain Turquoise from Nevada. This buc...

Navbajo Kingman turquoise and bear claw bracelet with small nugget of red coral. Stones and claw set in sterling silver surrounded by leaves, scrolls and bea...

Stunning four piece gold bracelet, ring, bolo and buckle set made by Robert and Burnice Leekya. Navajo four-piece set: bracelet, ring, bolo, and buckle. 14K gold overlay and turquoise nuggets. Signed "RBL". From the Sleeping Beauty Mine. Zuni husband and wife Robert and Bernice Leekya are known for their bold turquoise nugget jewelry. They have been making unique pieces since 1953. Robert was taught by his father, a master Zuni jeweler Leekya Deyuse...

Zuni Sleeping Beauty turquoise and dark red coral buckle. Nuggets surrounded by twisted rop border with stylized thunderbird with wings and tail feathers....

This beautiful belt buckle set is sterling silver with coral inlay. The slides measures 5/8 by 1 1/16 inches - the buckle measures 2 1/16 by 2 1/16 inches. This buckle set is made t...

This remarkable vintage belt is the work of Zuni husband-and-wife duo Lincoln and Helen Zunie (deceased) who are well-known and widely recognized for their remarkable inlay work, par...

Golden Hills Turquoise Money Clip by Navajo Silversmith Sunshine Reeves Daniel “Sunshine” Reeves was born in 1966 into a family of silversmiths. ...

Beautiful Kachina Inlay Bolo with Black Leather tie accented in Sterling Reverse Hallmark "STERLING D" Natural Patina with Four round Inlay bezel set stones and two turquoise eyes o...

Channel Inlay Ranger Buckle Set with Two Keepers and a Belt Tip by Zuni Pueblo silversmith Zora Joe. Inlaid with Turquoise, Spiny Oyster Shell, Jet, and...

Heavy gauge sterling silver ranger set by Santa Fe artist Mona Van Riper. The 2” x 2 ¼” buckle has two 18 karat gold flowers with red garnets in the center. The two keepers and the tip also have an 18 karat gold floral motif with garnets. The set is made for a 1” belt. Price is for buckle set only. Belts are sold separately. Santa Fe artist Mona Van Riper is known for her unique one of a kind jewelry. She is a favorite of collectors because of her unique designs and she chooses only the highest quality stones. Day of the Dead figures and skulls are among her favorite designs. She has been designing jewelry since 1976. About the Artist Mona Van Riper was raised in Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico. She began silver-smithing at the Mabel Dodge Lujan House in Taos in 1976. Making and designing jewelry has been a constant part of her life ever since. Mona is most well-known for her elaborate and intricate buckles, whether with a western theme, crown, fleur-de-lis, heart or with her eponymous skulls. Most of the country’s finest buckle makers—often artisans who learned the skills from their fathers and grandfathers—ply their craft in remote locales, often in obscurity. Mona Van Riper fits that profile. She creates one-of-a-kind turquoise, 18-karat gold, and sterling silver buckles in a 10-by-10-foot utility room in her home located on a dirt road, miles outside of Santa Fe, N.M. Mona’s early jewelry was heavy stamped Navajo style made from hand-cast ingots and coins. Over the years her style has developed into a more sophisticated and contemporary look while maintaining her signature old-world flavor. In 1992 Mona introduced engraving into her work which has given her jewelry a broader appeal. Mona’s unique jewelry is made from sterling silver in combination with 18 karat gold overlays and engraving. She often uses rare and very high-grade custom cut turquoise in her pieces. Mixing precious and semi-precious stones also gives her jewelry a timeless look. You will find notable differences in quality between artisan-made belt buckles and those that major luxury brands’ machines churn out by the thousands. Handmade solid silver and...

Tufa cast sterling silver buckle by Navajo silversmith Fidel Bahe. The 3 1/2” x 2 1/2” contemporary buckle has a stylized male Yei head. Made for a 1 1/2” belt. Tufa casting is a technique of pouring molten silver into a tufa stone mold and letting it harden into a given form. The mold is only used once; therefore each item is an original piece. The Yei are the Navajo Holy People. About the Artist Fidel Bahe was born in 1949 at Keams Canyon, Arizona. He is the firstborn of eight children--two sisters and five brothers. He studied architecture and engineering at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff before taking up silversmithing at the age of 24. Fidel focused on traditional Navajo designs with his own creative style. In 1976, Preston Monongye...

Shadowbox belt buckle with multi coral nuggets. Marked sterling silver. Made by Navajo silversmith J. Begay. Stunning oxblood coral stones surrounded by twisted rope border and sterl...

Carved ivory bighorns with Blue Kingman Mine turquoise. Wonderful patina. Original leather; nine conchos total. Signed A.J.M. PERIOD: After 1950 ORIGIN: Navajo, Southwest SIZE: Total belt length 56"; buckle 3 1/2" x 5"; conchos 3" x 4" The word “concho” sometimes spelled “concha”, comes from the Spanish word meaning shell. Some of the first “conchos” were made of melted silver dollars and resembled a shell. Concho belts reportedly began appearing in Navajo country in the late 1860s. Other Native Americans including Zuni and Hopi also made traditional concho belts before long. Concho belts can cost into the thousands of dollars depending upon the craftsmanship, amount of silver, rarity of turquoise and stones used. Belts in the upper end of the price scales are usually made before the turn of the century. Buyers should deal with reputable dealers as many fakes and look-a-likes exist. A well-made belt with age to it will fetch a bigger premium and hold its value better. The earliest concho belts are now referred to as “First Phase” belts. This style of belt was made before Native silversmith had learned much about soldering. The conchos were hammered out from melted coins, cut, and filed into shape, engraved and a diamond shape slot was cut out of the middle of the concho, with a bar left across the center of the diamond shaped slot for the leather loop. Conchos that required no soldering are generally thought to be made from 1860-1880. Second phase conchos were done 1890-1900s in which silversmith began to solder. Third phase conchos is when you start to see the “butterfly” or “bow” appear between conchos and the use of turquoise as an adornment. A butterfly (bow) is a smaller concho in between bigger conchos. A belt with butterflies...

Hand-stamped sterling silver money clip made by renowned Southwestern jewelry designer Don Lucas. The money clip with hinge is 1" x 2 1/4". It has five squar...

Solar system sterling silver tufa cast cuff by Navajo silversmith Fidel Bahe is a pictorial with moons, planets. The 1 1/4” textured hand stamped cuff is 5 3/4” with a 1 1/4” gap. About the artist Fidel Bahe was born in 1949 at Keams Canyon, Arizona. He is the firstborn of eight children--two sisters and five brothers. He studied architecture and engineering at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff before taking up silversmithing at the age of 24. Fidel focused on traditional Navajo designs with his own creative style. In 1976, Preston Monongye...

Navajo sterling silver and Fox turquoise box. This box has an amazing finish and styling that resembles the Navajo stamp work of the early 1900’s. On t...

Armand American Horse nickel silver and turquoise jewelry box. Includes moon face motif on lid and hand stamped detail along sides. Stamped on bottom with artist hallmark. Three genu...

Signed LMB. Marked sterling; 11 conchos total. PERIOD: After 1950 ORIGIN: Navajo, Southwest SIZE: Total Belt Length 62 1/2" Leather; conchos 2 1/4"D The word “concho” sometimes spelled “concha”, comes from the Spanish word meaning shell. Some of the first “conchos” were made of melted silver dollars and resembled a shell. Concho belts reportedly began appearing in Navajo country in the late 1860s. Other Native Americans including Zuni and Hopi also made traditional concho belts before long. Concho belts can cost into the thousands of dollars depending upon the craftsmanship, amount of silver, rarity of turquoise and stones used. Belts in the upper end of the price scales are usually made before the turn of the century. Buyers should deal with reputable dealers as many fakes and look-a-likes exist. A well-made belt with age to it will fetch a bigger premium and hold its value better. The earliest concho belts are now referred to as “First Phase” belts. This style of belt was made before Native silversmith had learned much about soldering. The conchos were hammered out from melted coins, cut, and filed into shape, engraved and a diamond shape slot was cut out of the middle of the concho, with a bar left across the center of the diamond shaped slot for the leather loop. Conchos that required no soldering are generally thought to be made from 1860-1880. Second phase conchos were done 1890-1900s in which silversmith began to solder. Third phase conchos is when you start to see the “butterfly” or “bow” appear between conchos and the use of turquoise as an adornment. A butterfly (bow) is a smaller concho in between bigger conchos. A belt with butterflies and sometimes turquoise would be from the early 1900s – 1930s. The timelines may slightly differentiate depending upon who you ask. Natives first had concho belts for personal use only, but around the turn of the last century, tourist demand had kicked in and a new outlet emerged. belts & buckles jewelry silver belts conchos navajo needlepoint southwest turquoise...

Sterling silver ranger set by Santa Fe artist Mona Van Riper. The set consists of a 2 1/8” x 2 1/4” buckle, two keepers and a tip. The buckle and keepers have 18k gold star accents with garnets and amethysts. Made to fit a 1” belt. Price is for buckle set only. Belts are sold separately. About the Artist Mona Van Riper was raised in Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico. She began silver-smithing at the Mabel Dodge Lujan House in Taos in 1976. Making and designing jewelry has been a constant part of her life ever since. Mona is most well-known for her elaborate and intricate buckles, whether with a western theme, crown, fleur-de-lis, heart or with her eponymous skulls. Most of the country’s finest buckle makers—often artisans who learned the skills from their fathers and grandfathers—ply their craft in remote locales, often in obscurity. Mona Van Riper fits that profile. She creates one-of-a-kind turquoise, 18-karat gold, and sterling silver buckles in a 10-by-10-foot utility room in her home located on a dirt road, miles outside of Santa Fe, N.M. Mona’s early jewelry was heavy stamped Navajo style made from hand-cast ingots and coins. Over the years her style has developed into a more sophisticated and contemporary look while maintaining her signature old-world flavor. In 1992 Mona introduced engraving into her work which has given her jewelry a broader appeal. Mona’s unique jewelry is made from sterling silver in combination with 18 karat gold overlays and engraving. She often uses rare and very high-grade custom cut turquoise in her pieces. Mixing precious and semi-precious stones also gives her jewelry a timeless look. You will find notable differences in quality between artisan-made belt buckles and those that major luxury brands’ machines churn out by the thousands. Handmade solid silver and...

Hopi sterling silver eagle dancer kachina. Decorated turquoise belt, naja and base. Exquisitely detailed with stunning movement and fluidity. Well detailed silverwork. Would display ...

The 2” x 3” buckle has Carico Lake turquoise, lapis, coral and alabaster. Made for a 1 1/8” belt. Price is for buckle only. Belts are sold separately. Navajo lapidary artist Calvin...

Beautiful Eagle Dancer Inlay Bolo with Black Leather tie accented in Sterling Reverse Hallmark "LN" Natural Inlay stones set in a symmetrical Eagle Dancer figure Length & Width o...

Money Clip with Blue Gem Turquoise & Sterling Silver by Navajo Silversmith Sunshine Reeves Daniel “Sunshine” Reeves was born in 1966 into a family ...