JEWELRY ED: WHATTAYA CALL IT?

We always aim to provide as much (and as accurate) info as we’re able in the descriptions of our jewelry pieces. First and foremost, we want to give credit where it’s due; if we can identify the artisan or origins of a piece, we are thrilled to be able to share it. Additionally, we personally find it interesting; we seek to ascertain as much as we can about a piece before we buy it, so naturally we want to pass that on. And finally, it’s good business practice; it’s relevant when weighing your wish list and evaluating an investment piece.

That said, we’ve been doing it so long that the shorthand is second nature, so here’s a quick reference guide for how we classify a piece of jewelry when we list it:

OLD PAWN

If we get it from a pawn shop, we will mark it as “Old Pawn,” since it is. If it has a ticket, we will photograph it and include it with the listing; not all pieces we buy from dealers/pawn shops have tickets even though they are indeed from pawn trading.

VINTAGE

Old pieces purchased at auction are labeled “vintage” and are generally 20 or more years old.

CONTEMPORARY

All newer pieces are credited as contemporary. Federico Jimenez, Charlie Favour, Rethema Tsosie are some examples of current contemporary artisans, as well as much of what comes from our partnership with Peyote Bird Designs and Oscar Betz’ new creations (though we still offer vintage Oscars when we have them).

NEW OLD STOCK

Unlike what we would typically classify as vintage, these pieces haven’t had previous owners. They’re aged, but unworn/never been sold. Some examples of this could be custom DDR pieces that we made in the past, but have been in our archive, or perhaps some of the unsold inventory we acquired in our arrangement with Mummy’s Bundle.

HALLMARKS

If a piece has a hallmark or signature, we will always include it in the listing and we cross-reference it with a very comprehensive index to try to identify the maker as often as we can. Sometimes we simply don’t know and we will say as much. If we aren’t certain of the origin, we will not definitively ascribe it to a particular person or tribe, but will sometimes offer insight that it is “likely” from a particular tribe, era, or area, given certain characteristics.