Museum Vintage Native American Jewelry Navajo Sterling Silver Concho Ranger Belt
We are proud to offer this tremendous Navajo Native American Jewelry brown leather belt with a basket weave design and a large handcarved silver horseshoe buckle with handcarved silver designs, a handcarved silver tip and 2 handcarved silver slides! The width of the belt is about 1"½ Minimum waist is around 32" and maximum waist is about 37. The handcarved silver tip of the belt measures about 1" x 3/4". The handcarved silver slides measure about 1?
The buckle measures around 2"? Silversmithing is the most popular form of jewelry making in the Southwest. Early in the 1800s, Spanish and later Mexican silver work was seen among the Southwestern Native Americans.
In the 1850s Navajo artists learned how to work silver from Mexican smiths. Hopis learned the skill from the Zuni. By 1875 Navajos melted Mexican and American silver coins and poured the silver into molds carved from sandstone. Sterling silver jewelry was soldered and decorated by beads, scrolls etc. Lapidary skills had been passed down from generation to generation.
This led to setting stone on stone in mosaics. However the popular use of setting turquoise in silver did not become common until 1880 when turquoise became more readily available. Coral and other semi-precious stones gradually also began to be used. With the advent of the railroad and trading posts Native American jewelry grew and developed. New techniques led to styles known today, knowledge and appreciation by the public has also grown with time.Native American jewelry is truly a varied and beautiful form of artistic expression. Native American jewelry is prized by many.
It has developed into different beautiful styles by various tribes.