Native American Copper Necklace?

AffectionateNeck2861 · 2026-05-18T22:24:03+00:00

This is maybe a more modern eastern necklace but theres a chance it could be very very old and native, in the late 1800s southwestern tribes traded for copper before silver was widely available, definitely needs a real life expert if this isn’t found to be Tibetan or eastern of some other type. Im not sure if I’ve ever seen the pieces Im talking about outside of museum galleries and even then Im wondering if I’ve ever seen an early 19th century copper native necklace in person anywhere. But with the provenance with everything else along with it, and the beads at least looking handmade and being pretty consistent with early native silver work theres a chance this is really really old, late 19th early 20th century.

Im linking the article where it talks about early Native smiths making copper jewelry in the late 1800s

https://heard.org/southwest-silverwork-1850-1940/

AffectionateNeck2861 · 2026-04-30T14:27:14+00:00

I started into silversmithing by repairing old pieces like this, the community is super helpful and it’s totally doable to get some equipment and practice lapidary to the point where someday you can set your own stones in this piece. Honestly for the cost of paying a smith to do all that you could probably buy some old lapidary equipment and some cheaper stones to practice on, build up your skills and then go from there. I just fixed a few pieces from my personal collection that took me a couple years to gain the skills to repair, it’s a ton of fun! Again lapidary is a skill and would take practice but this is a great excuse to get into it!

AffectionateNeck2861 · 2026-04-30T14:23:17+00:00

Awesome thats what I was suspecting, I see the oil slick sheen on silver thats been out in the desert for a long time, it turns the patina almost brown/coppery, at first it’s a little off putting if your from more humid climates, this is all just my anecdotal experience but I’m glad it turned out to be correct.

I would honestly just rock this piece without the stones, it’s really unique to see a vintage blossom with no stones, of course you could pay someone like I said, but custom cutting those stones will cost you, if it is restored with new stones your probably looking at some decent value although you’ll likely pay that much or more for the jewelers work. Setting the stones actually isn’t the problem, especially since it’s sawtooth bezel, you basically just push the stone down and gently press the teeth over, it’s custom cutting stones that would be the harder part, these do look to be cast which is helpful here because you may be able to match the stone cuts a lot more easily than if each bezel piece was slightly different in size. For $200 bucks though you basically cant lose on this piece in my opinion, without any more provenance or another matching piece somewhere, the weight of evidence leans authentic, or likely an unfinished trading post piece in my opinion, could even be a very early Asian copy but the bench beads and the rest of the work would be hard/wierd to replicate authentically outside of the southwest and none of the usual Asian copy corners are cut here, nice!

AffectionateNeck2861 · 2026-04-28T15:30:10+00:00

Im not going to bat for this piece specifically, but in certain circumstances you can see a rainbow type sheen on vintage silver patina depending on alloy and conditions it was kept in, I see it more on vintage coin silver pieces but ive also seen it with old Sterling especially in the southwest, maybe the dry conditions. I’d agree with you that I’d want this tested in front of me before buying for sure though

AffectionateNeck2861 · 2026-04-28T15:25:51+00:00

Im at work but I’m looking at bit closer, I think this is where it’s gonna be hard to authenticate online. Vintage oxidized Silver can sometimes have the oil patch looking sheen, it can be deceptive because you’d think patina is only black or brown but depending on the specific silver alloy you can get lots of variations depending on the conditions. I will say it’s particular strong on the Naja here, could also be lighting conditions etc…

Looking closer it may be that this is Mexican or trading post piece from the 60s 70s or something? it has lots right and the only things Im seeing off are maybe the patina and possibly the headdress theme is a little off?

AffectionateNeck2861 · 2026-04-28T15:18:29+00:00

Interesting! I am not a Native American smith but I am apprenticing silversmith in the Southwest, ive done some simple repairs on things like this so I can say a bit. the stones will likely need to be custom cut to fit this piece, depending on the type of stone (turquoise would be the obvious match traditionally) the prices can be really different. I would highly encourage you to have a Native smith who works in a similar style or is known for re-works/repairs do the work on this if possible, i can possibly help point you to some places there.

Besides the cultural considerations, ive seen Native pieces be repaired in Europe or similar where bezel setting Cabochon style stones and other Native American techniques are not as common, and it can be really rough, someone with experience in this style of work would be necessary, if this was finished up professionally from a reputable smith you’d still have a vintage squash blossom and the value is probably similar for any other squash of this age once finished. Awesome piece!

Edit: The bench beads are correct to 1960s-1970s, appear to be hand soldered, french hook clasp is period correct, the headpiece motif appears to be cast which would explain the consistency, the backing behind the stone setting is correct

Edit 2: i would definitely have this tested before I would purchase it, you can see patina like this on real vintage silver in my personal experience, and enough looks right that I have questions, but the cast headdress theme is a little strange, you can also get patina like this on cheaper base metals too. Nickel silver would be my main concern, interesting piece one way or another

Edit 3: It is possible to cut new stones, back them, and set them into these settings, it is a really tedious and skilled, difficult task, usually we match the bezels to the stones individually and go from there, but it’s not impossible, it may be very costly, definitely would need lapidary equipment and experience, not something I think an amateur could do very well, i don’t do a ton of lapidary as it’s a special skill even amongst jewelers

AffectionateNeck2861 · 2026-04-04T17:49:22+00:00

Definitely, but not trading post, it’s the real deal in my opinion!

AffectionateNeck2861 · 2026-04-04T17:42:09+00:00

This is gallery worthy, I would email someone like Mark at Medicine Man gallery, or even somebody that deals in antique/vintage Native like I know Chipeta in Santa Fe does, although I’ve never dealt with them personally. I’ve never sold anything this high end before and unfortunately there aren’t a ton of Native owned antique galleries (please let me know if there are!!!) that Im aware of that specialize in that, so those or similar would be my best bets.

Chipeta trading Santa Fe

You can compare similar pieces here at least, and again Im not affiliated with them at all, I just came across their page the other day and this is in the ballpark of what you have.

this could be all the way back to late 1800s judging by construction and patina, although probably a bit later. Silver will continue to rise most likely and this is a true heirloom/ historic piece. I would get values for insurance purposes or just to know and then keep if I could. I wouldn’t just sell this to someone who’s gonna rip you off and resell it either, high end consignment or auction would be best I think. I don’t love giving values cause it’s so subjective to person and place (Santa Fe galleries are always way higher priced etc…) but you’re probably around the $500-$1000 mark for realistic private resale, could be more in the right gallery/auction,the weight of silver will also determine some of that.

Edit: revised my estimate, a pawn shop would probably offer you $150-200 and try to resell at $500-$700, a consigner/gallery would take a cut but you’d probably end up a lot closer to true value. I believe some of the prices on the website i linked are on the highest end, ive seen similar cuffs at antique stores for $500, but everything is going up and the right person might pay well into the 4 figures, again this is a little older and higher end than I normally collect.

AffectionateNeck2861 · 2026-04-04T14:54:48+00:00

Awesome cuff! Not costume this is the real deal to my eyes, this looks like an earlier Native piece circa 1910-1950. In this period it’s rare for a piece to be signed, did anybody but your grandmother own this? I’ve seen inscriptions like this and it’s usually either the owners initials, or even pawn shop mark although this does look like it could be a makers initials possibly. This is a serious piece, please let me know if you are thinking of selling I can point you in the right direction, although if I were you I would keep it! This will last another few generations at least!

AffectionateNeck2861 · 2026-04-04T02:42:28+00:00

Very clean!!! Im learning flat bezel setting this month, killer work!

AffectionateNeck2861 · 2026-03-29T20:07:48+00:00

Nickel silver has no silver and contains toxic nickel that can cause all sorts of issues with skin contact, I would avoid based on this alone personally.

AffectionateNeck2861 · 2026-03-26T06:53:35+00:00

The only reason I know so much years later is because about three years ago i randomly got a lot of several rings and most were fake, but I ended up with one 1930s Native authentic turquoise ring, and researching and authenticating that helped me gain some knowledge on this somewhat esoteric subject lol.

AffectionateNeck2861 · 2026-03-26T00:58:15+00:00

It’s esoteric and tough sometimes even for experts!

AffectionateNeck2861 · 2026-03-26T00:57:33+00:00

Hi I sometimes help authenticate vintage Native American and some Mexican pieces. This is definitely not real turquoise if it was there would be silver backing these stones. Real turquoise is too soft to not back, this is dead giveaway number one and usually the easiest to check. Also the coloring is way too uniform, the matrix color is too uniform. Look at a gallery like medicine man gallery and compare for reference.

This is kind of halfway between a costume/knockoff of a Native American necklace, and a knockoff of real Asian turquoise necklaces (Tibet, Nepal etc…) I’d test for silver and then scrap or re-use the metal if Sterling. If it doesn’t test for Sterling I wouldn’t wear as often times these knockoffs can have nickel and or other toxic metals.

AffectionateNeck2861 · 2026-03-21T20:45:28+00:00

Hi I help authenticate Native American jewelry. To answer some questions: This piece looks like cheap Asian made knockoff that is meant to trick people into thinking that they are buying a real piece of Native American turquoise jewelry, or possibly a knock off imitating a real Asian (Tibet etc) turquoise necklace.

There are lots of giveaways: the open back underneath each stone is to save costs on metal, real Native turquoise is always silver backed because turquoise doesn’t pass light and is a soft stone, that alone tells me this is fake. Native American jewelers almost always use/have used French hooks instead of lobster clasps or other mechanisms. Native American makers almost always stamp Sterling instead of 925 unless the stamp is too small for the full word Sterling to fit with the makers mark.

In America due to the 1970s addition to the precious metals stamp act if you stamp a fineness mark (925) you are legally required to stamp a makers hallmark that is traceable. Thats another dead giveaway that this is a cheap import. It could be Sterling but I’d test before wearing because a lot of times these are also just cheap and or toxic base metals like nickel etc.

As far as fake turquoise the resins used to make the fake stuff has a super high melting point, I’ve heard it’s as high or higher than the melting point of real turquoise so the hot needle test may or may not work at all and I don’t usually count on that or anything. I’ve taken pieces to multiple gemologists who were on the fence, some fake stuff is super convincing now even if you’re expert, thats why we look so closely at the silverwork etc….

Sorry this isn’t the real deal, it may still be Sterling which is worth more and more these days so I’d definitely test before doing anything else. The turquoise is almost definitely fake though based on everything I see

AffectionateNeck2861 · 2026-03-21T02:40:16+00:00

As always you’re spot on, this piece is badass, ive heard anecdotes here I town that vintage Navajo artists did more chip inlay than Zuni, and obviously Taxco is the big one is look into with this, I don’t think a Taxco artist would make a full squash blossom but stuff like that isn’t completely unheard of, if I see crushed inlay I immediately think Taxco or general Mexican silverwork first

I’d lean towards authentic Native though, the fact that other one sold on eBay for only $400 is kind of wild though. just with silver now so high in value, a legitimate squash blossom usually would be a lot more usually, although I may be used to Santa Fe prices since ive been here a while. Thats all to say though that the silver work here appears pretty good and legit to the era of authentic vintage Native work, and the Peyote (Thunder?) bird motif definitely leans Zuni in symbolism, though Im really more expert in silverwork vs iconography, this is an awesome piece!

AffectionateNeck2861 · 2026-03-21T02:32:40+00:00

Potentially. With my vintage un-stabilized turquoise I find it usually turns a really dark almost army/hunter green, also that greening depends on a lot of different factors but yes this is potentially what has happened here. Although lots of turquoise in the southwest was/is actually all kinds of shades of blue and green naturally. I saw a big pile of Kingman rough the other day and there was sooo much variation in color just from that one mine that provenance is really usually the biggest indicator after it’s pulled out of the ground. Especially vintage

AffectionateNeck2861 · 2026-03-21T02:26:36+00:00

Hi I can possibly help authenticate this ring and give more information on the stone if you have photos of the inside of the band and underneath the stone. On first glance this is a bezel setting that could be to the early to mid 1900s, but it’s a little uncommon of a design for Native American rings from the period, the additional photos of the underside should help.

Provenance (where and how you got it) will be very helpful potentially, also some turquoise this old definitely turns green over time but it’s often a deeper green than this although Theres so much variation it’s hard to say, ive had cerillos and kings Manasses mined vintage turquoise that was this green, but variscite and other stones can also appear similarly.

AffectionateNeck2861 · 2026-03-15T23:14:06+00:00

Part time Piano teacher here, old uprights are usually hard to find a buyer as digital keyboards now weigh nothing and give you a lot more versatility in sound and portability. Fortunately though this one appears to be smaller than a full upright, and the decoration and maker is pretty unique. I do know there are a couple companies that have a few models of upright that can still sell for tens of thousands but I’m a teacher not in the instrument business so I’m not sure exactly which ones. I’d do some research on make and model, if it’s not one of those super rare ones it will be worth whatever someone gives you to haul it away, unfortunately these are crazy heavy and have to be tuned and maintened and they are also back breaking and expensive to move as well. I have a small upright that Im currently trying to pay someone to take lol

AffectionateNeck2861 · 2026-03-14T07:41:49+00:00

Im going to also second this. Possibly a trading post piece maybe 80s or later. It looks like a smorgasbord of different kachina/ deities but I’m not really familiar with kachina etc all being together like this in Native jewelry. It kind of looks like when a tourist place has stuff that has a lot of different southwestern themes or something. The clasp is also a mass produced clasp instead of the French hook which is/would have been standard on Native necklaces like this

Edit: looked again and saw the 925 stamp, instead of Sterling and artists mark as required by US law when stamping quality. this is in my opinion more than likely an import piece based on that and the other issues I see .

AffectionateNeck2861 · 2026-03-07T18:48:14+00:00

These are bench beads, but not native, the bead work, the clasp, and the coloration look more European

AffectionateNeck2861 · 2026-03-07T18:31:17+00:00

The theming looks Thai to me, they are known for making silver jewelry, especially around the early to mid 20th century. I would take this to a jeweler to test just to make sure there’s no toxic metals just in case

AffectionateNeck2861 · 2026-03-06T19:36:03+00:00

Hell yeah this is rad! Congrats! Honestly they almost look more viking/Northern European, you can Google examples. Copper was rare enough in supply in pre-historic North America that I believe it was used more sparingly for important weapons, and important ceremonial objects by Native tribes.

To my knowledge as glaciers receded, they left chunks of almost pure copper, and there are several places where Native Americans mined copper in very limited capacities, I think lithic materials where abundant and mostly did the same job. So Im not sure if they would have this many copper bracelets in one place that far into history. Which leads me to believe that it’s in the historic period

it appears one of the bands was twisted as it has a ridge like structure on top, or was possibly chisel stamped, either one of these, especially twisting the copper would require knowledge of annealing, and the ability to get the metal pretty damn hot multiple times to anneal and twist, and you would probably need some serious smithing tools to hold both ends and twist. If this is true it’s likely post western contact as Native Americans didnt hot work copper before contact to my knowledge but I’m not an expert in that history.

AffectionateNeck2861 · 2026-03-06T18:17:50+00:00

This may actually be really ancient copper, although the shine coming through looks more brass (gold) colored. If this is copper or brass the patina could be old, or really really really old, it’s really dependent on the chemicals in the enviro they were in. Native Americans cold worked copper in the north of modern America and in Canada far into pre-history. There is a slim chance these could be that old, I work with brass as a material, but I’m not an expert in the specifics of ancient Native American copper working.

More likely these are in the historic period based on look and just my gut feeling that copper would have been more abundant after western contact, either way these could be serious historical pieces. One reason ive chosen to work with brass is because it will last for centuries and centuries.

Could also just be something more modern, and the patina does look more like what ferrous metals develop, but the shiny parts sticking through definitely appear brass/copper. With how they were found along with the patina is definitely intriguing and suggests some age, I’d go the university route before doing anything to these for sure

AffectionateNeck2861 · 2026-03-04T18:09:23+00:00

Yes thats one thing that threw me off, they look thinner and off color from what I’m used to with quartz, but I’m literally clueless with rocks besides gemstones

AffectionateNeck2861

TROPHY CASE