Native American and Mexican silver

[anordstr]

What are everybody's thoughts on silver from Mexico and older Native American stuff? I picked up a pair of Mexican earrings and a Native ring for about a buck at a sale. Both marked to be sterling. My silver guy said a lot of the time those aren't what they say they are. Has anybody had any issues with that?

 

[vpnavy]

Interesting - ring looks right - interesting anordstr.

 

[diggummup]

I'm skeptical of the earring because i've never seen a piece of Mexican silver stamped 3 times with 925. That doesn't mean it isn't real. I would suggest buying an acid test kit. It's the only way to tell for sure, if you aren't that experienced at dealing with sterling silver.

 

[capt-zero]

Both items look legit to me. However, Mexican jewelry is like jewelry from anywhere else. Yes there are fakes stamped from there, but I haven't noticed enough for me to make a blanket generalization like you can't trust Mexican silver. Most of the silver I have bought has come from Mexico. As far as native American silver, I have never found a fake. In fact, I have found a lot that is not marked with silver content at all.

 

[BosnMate]

The older Navajo silver is usually coin silver, which is a bit less than sterling, and not marked.

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

making any 'set in stone' comments about Navajo silverwork is problematic.

coin silver objects from Navajo country are RARE!
I have one...an only one piece made from coin sliver.

true, some early pieces were coin silver...early as in pre-1880...1880's is when the santé fe railroad came through the area, bringing everything one could buy in the east...
including silver plate, wire, and commercially cut stones.
this time period is also when the massive "collection" of native American artifacts occurred...and most of the damage to these ruins, one can still see today.

after the hippy period...when beads an bangles became popular for young people...many of the "Navajo" pieces were in fact created by factories of anglo silversmiths...yet sold as native creations....
many laws have evolved due to people of low morals cashing in on the native market.

it was in early 1900"s, that native silversmiths began marking their work with a symbol, or initials...
the .925, and sterling marks also began to appear, in tune with the rest of the American metal workers.
American Silver Marks on Coin Silver and Sterling - Silver Magpies

http://www.native-american-market.com/navajo_silversmiths.html

 

[BosnMate]

making any 'set in stone' comments about Navajo silverwork is problematic.

coin silver objects from Navajo country are RARE!
I have one...an only one piece made from coin sliver.

true, some early pieces were coin silver...early as in pre-1880...1880's is when the santé fe railroad came through the area, bringing everything one could buy in the east...
including silver plate, wire, and commercially cut stones.
this time period is also when the massive "collection" of native American artifacts occurred...and most of the damage to these ruins, one can still see today.

after the hippy period...when beads an bangles became popular for young people...many of the "Navajo" pieces were in fact created by factories of anglo silversmiths...yet sold as native creations....
many laws have evolved due to people of low morals cashing in on the native market.

it was in early 1900"s, that native silversmiths began marking their work with a symbol, or initials...
the .925, and sterling marks also began to appear, in tune with the rest of the American metal workers.
American Silver Marks on Coin Silver and Sterling - Silver Magpies

Navajo Silversmiths

i spoke too soon and to generalized. But I do remember a friend of my parents, that used to give a Navajo craftsman rolls of silver dimes, and I have no idea if he was turning those dimes into stuff just for her, or if he was selling his work and she was supplying silver and in return receiving jewelry as payment for the silver, probably the latter. My assumption was that the other guys used coin silver also. Anyhow, that was late 40's early 50's, and I remember conversations talking about it was legal for the Navajo to destroy the coins because they were on their own nation, and it was illegal for us to do it. It's never wise to make generalized remarks like I made, and I'm famous for it. Sorry about that, I'll try and do better.

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

well..the Navajo had 375 years of political training under the spanish...quite Machiavellian...
so what ever one hears about the tribe...take with many grains of salt.

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

here is the piece I had thought was Navajo...but may be apache.

but it is old piece of silver...
most probably a Mexican peso...15.7 grams

 

[billn1956]

Try finding the makers mark hear. WWW 925-1000.com

 

[JimDon]

I found a heavy 925 Mexico marked bracelet last year and it stuck to a magnet only slightly though. Could have a steel core.