Most of these pawn shops and trading posts are now closed. The Native American would pawn his jewelry for immediate cash. The shop would hold it and charge interest until he could reclaim it. Dead pawn are the pieces that were never retrieved.
Old Pawn Jewelry typically dates from the early 1900s to the 1970s. Most of the early pieces are not signed because it wasn't the Native American tradition to sign the pieces they crafted. Also, the turquoise in old pawn is turquoise that you can't get anymore because many of the mines have closed.
And, the red and orange coral is rare because of the coral bleaching which is happening today. We guarantee all of our Native American Indian items to be AUTHENTIC American Indian traditional arts. To see more vintage Native American jewelry.