Santa Fe Indian Arts

Selling your Silver and Gold Jewelry

Many people are selling their silver and gold jewelry. You’ll find with precious metals there are different prices that dealers, refiners & jewelers will throw at you. Here’s an overview:

Spot price: The actual value of the metal

Scrap price: The amount a particular dealer/refiner/jeweler is paying that day

If your piece isn't marked with the gold or silver content do not assume it isn't real. Many rings have been sized and the markings were lost in the process (especially if they are vintage). Also just because a silver piece isn't marked, doesn't mean it isn't sterling. Case in point: many of the vintage Native American pieces I come across are not signed or marked in any way. They were made for family members so it wasn't considered important to stamp them. When they are pawned and aren't picked up by the owner, the piece is put up for sale, which is why we see so many on the secondary market.

Here is my advice: Do your homework before selling to any one! If you have jewelry you want to scrap (perhaps a broken gold chain for instance) check with local dealers, jewelers and refiners to see who is paying the most. A fair price is 25-28% of spot. Many of these people pay 10-15% of spot or less. 

Website for calculating the value of your metals: This website is terrific. All you have to do is enter the weight of your piece; the alloy and the calculator will do the rest. It will calculate gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. 

Jewelry Scales: a 'pocket scale' is fine: make sure it weighs in grams and pennyweights (DWT): I personally prefer the My Weigh PalmScale 500 but for most purposes you probably don't need to spend $42 on a scale. This is a good place for scales.

Where to buy a jewelers loupe:  There is no reason to spend a lot on a loupe. I like a 30X magnification with a light. Here is one I like.

Best of luck and feel free to send me an email if you have any questions! 

-Jani

The Case For Handmade Heirloom Quality American Indian Jewelry

Success & Failure

"Successful entrepreneurs find the balance between listening to their inner voice and staying persistent in driving for success - because sometimes success is waiting right across from the transitional bump that's disguised as failure."  -Naveen Jain

Peggy and I were talking about failure vs success this morning which kick-started my brain (the caffeine wasn't working so it was a good thing). I found the above quote on Brainy Quote which sums up how I feel about the subject. There is always a "transitional bump" in our lives and it's how we choose to approach it that determines our character and, ultimately our future.

The Four Directions

There is a common thread in Native American beliefs that the Four Directions is a powerful symbol marked by the colors you see above. This symbol is also called a Medicine Wheel or Sacred Hoop and has been used for healing. In ceremonies the circular movement of the wheel is generally clockwise.

The directions / number four also symbolizes:

Direction: North, South East and West

Life Stages: Birth, Childhood, Adulthood and Death

Health: Physical, Spiritual, Emotional and Intellectual

Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter

*Disclaimer: the four directions are interpreted differently by the different indigenous peoples of North America. Plus, I'm not an expert, just someone is fascinated with aspects of Native American culture. Finally this the the abridged version!

Labor Day (This has nothing to do with jewelry)

Does Labor Day really mark the end of summer? Are we all going to stop grilling, stop wearing sandals and begin to think about taking our winter clothing out of storage? Do we really have to quit wearing white?

Well I protest. So here is a list of my September affirmations:

• I will continue to wear white
• I will wear sandals until such time as my feet become frosty
• I will grill until the snow falls (and maybe after)

And finally, I will not abandon my tank tops in favor of long sleeves.

Viva summer! 

Navajo Rugs

When I think about the amount of work that goes into one rug I can't imagine haggling with a weaver over price. Depending on the size and the complexity of the piece, one weaving can easily represent a years worth of work. Imagine raising sheep, shearing them, washing and carding the wool, and spinning the yarn - all before you even begin the process of setting up the loom and beginning on the piece. So if you're considering a Navajo rug, here is something to ponder: If you spent the same amount of time crafting something to sell, how much would you charge for your work of art? 

These works of art are investment pieces that will bring you and future generations much pleasure. 

Sterling vs. Nickel Silver

Be careful out there when you're buying Native American jewelry. Recently we heard that some silver jewelry is getting stamped sterling when in fact it's nickel silver (also called German silver or alpaca). Also, there's jewelry coming from overseas being sold as authentic Native American. I have to admit some of them do a good job duplicating authentic pieces. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery - and that may be true if your best friend buys the exact same dress you bought last week, but in this case it is unethical and illegal.  Know your seller. Make sure they are established and you have recourse if a piece you purchase turns out to be fake. A honest seller can make mistakes, but they'll make it right.