Sterling Concho Hat Band

Navajo concho belt with rectangular turquoise slabs, surrounded by small stones. Signed RS. The turquoise is from the Kingman Mine in Arizona. Marked ster...

Navajo sterling concho belt with coral nuggets, beads and rope surround. 11 conchos 2 1/2" with larger buckle 3" x 2 1/2" on black leather belt. Trunk pie...

Signed LMB. Marked sterling; 11 conchos total. PERIOD: After 1950 ORIGIN: Navajo, Southwest SIZE: Total Belt Length 62 1/2" Leather; conchos 2 1/4"D The word “concho” sometimes spelled “concha”, comes from the Spanish word meaning shell. Some of the first “conchos” were made of melted silver dollars and resembled a shell. Concho belts reportedly began appearing in Navajo country in the late 1860s. Other Native Americans including Zuni and Hopi also made traditional concho belts before long. Concho belts can cost into the thousands of dollars depending upon the craftsmanship, amount of silver, rarity of turquoise and stones used. Belts in the upper end of the price scales are usually made before the turn of the century. Buyers should deal with reputable dealers as many fakes and look-a-likes exist. A well-made belt with age to it will fetch a bigger premium and hold its value better. The earliest concho belts are now referred to as “First Phase” belts. This style of belt was made before Native silversmith had learned much about soldering. The conchos were hammered out from melted coins, cut, and filed into shape, engraved and a diamond shape slot was cut out of the middle of the concho, with a bar left across the center of the diamond shaped slot for the leather loop. Conchos that required no soldering are generally thought to be made from 1860-1880. Second phase conchos were done 1890-1900s in which silversmith began to solder. Third phase conchos is when you start to see the “butterfly” or “bow” appear between conchos and the use of turquoise as an adornment. A butterfly (bow) is a smaller concho in between bigger conchos. A belt with butterflies and sometimes turquoise would be from the early 1900s – 1930s. The timelines may slightly differentiate depending upon who you ask. Natives first had concho belts for personal use only, but around the turn of the last century, tourist demand had kicked in and a new outlet emerged. belts & buckles jewelry silver belts conchos navajo needlepoint southwest turquoise...

Carved ivory bighorns with Blue Kingman Mine turquoise. Wonderful patina. Original leather; nine conchos total. Signed A.J.M. PERIOD: After 1950 ORIGIN: Navajo, Southwest SIZE: Total belt length 56"; buckle 3 1/2" x 5"; conchos 3" x 4" The word “concho” sometimes spelled “concha”, comes from the Spanish word meaning shell. Some of the first “conchos” were made of melted silver dollars and resembled a shell. Concho belts reportedly began appearing in Navajo country in the late 1860s. Other Native Americans including Zuni and Hopi also made traditional concho belts before long. Concho belts can cost into the thousands of dollars depending upon the craftsmanship, amount of silver, rarity of turquoise and stones used. Belts in the upper end of the price scales are usually made before the turn of the century. Buyers should deal with reputable dealers as many fakes and look-a-likes exist. A well-made belt with age to it will fetch a bigger premium and hold its value better. The earliest concho belts are now referred to as “First Phase” belts. This style of belt was made before Native silversmith had learned much about soldering. The conchos were hammered out from melted coins, cut, and filed into shape, engraved and a diamond shape slot was cut out of the middle of the concho, with a bar left across the center of the diamond shaped slot for the leather loop. Conchos that required no soldering are generally thought to be made from 1860-1880. Second phase conchos were done 1890-1900s in which silversmith began to solder. Third phase conchos is when you start to see the “butterfly” or “bow” appear between conchos and the use of turquoise as an adornment. A butterfly (bow) is a smaller concho in between bigger conchos. A belt with butterflies...

Zuni Sleeping Beauty turquoise and dark red coral buckle. Nuggets surrounded by twisted rop border with stylized thunderbird with wings and tail feathers....

Exceptional and large Navajo sterling silver buckle by Robert Kelly with five Blue Diamond mine stones in shadow box with leaf, ball and scroll design surrounded by triple border. P...

A necessity during the Victorian Era, hat pins not only balanced precarious hats atop piles of hair but also moonlighted as weapons against overzealous gentlemen. Though teetering ha...

BADGE WITH ST. JAMES THE GREAT Northern Spain, 16th century Silver, jet Weight 18.2 grams; dimensions 44 × 43 × 12 mm Round pendant with high-relief image of St. James the Great of Santiago de Compostela carved in jet. The saint is flanked by two pilgrims (their heads defaced); each holds a staff and rosary in his hand. Silver mount with plain flat backplate, corded wire surround and toothed edge as setting. Four pendant loops for sewing onto a hat or cloak. According to the Roman naturalist Pliny, jet, the material of which this pin was made, prevented snakebite and was “thrown up by the sea.” The first quality would certainly have been reassuring for a pilgrim who owned this object and who had to make long journeys over unfamiliar terrain. The second quality made jet an especially fitting material to honor St. James, given that his body arrived in Spain mysteriously, carried there “by the sea” from the Holy Land. Santiago de Compostela was a major center for jet carving from the late Middle Ages, and highly polished jet was a desirable and common material for pilgrimage souvenirs. One even finds scallop shells, the pilgrim’s badge...

Alex Jona hand crafted in Italy, rhodium plated Sterling Silver money clip. Alex Jona gifts stand out, not only for their special design and...

Alex Jona hand crafted in Italy, sterling silver money clip. Alex Jona gifts stand out, not only for their special design and for the excel...

Alex Jona, hand crafted in Italy, sterling silver money clip. Alex Jona jewels stand out, not only for their special design, but also for the careful attention given to details duri...

Alex Jona hand crafted in Italy, sterling silver money clip. Alex Jona gifts stand out, not only for their special design and for the excell...