What’s my turquoise jewelry worth?

I get a lot of questions about Southwest jewelry my clients have inherited from their relatives over the years, the most common being “whats this piece of jewelry worth?”  Values of Southwest jewelry can be categorized in to four areas:

1.  Age = is the piece before 1930’s, the era before the tourists began to visit the southwest by rail?  If so it could be worth more than a piece after the 1930’s. 

2.  Condition = condition is everything, almost…. we like to see real wear on a piece but not too much damage.  Missing stones, broken stones and damaged silver decrease the value of a piece.  Ingot silver pieces are generally more desirable than sterling silver pieces.

3.  Desirability = demand changes, and taste change over time as fashion trends cycle.  If you hit it right your piece may be worth a lot…squash blossom necklaces seem to be in vogue right now so maybe you have a winner!

4. Signed pieces = the first hallmarks appear in the early 1930’s as artisans are looking to build their reputations.  Look to see if your piece has a stamp, mark or signature on the back and you might  have a very desirable item.

Always feel free to call or email us with questions so we call all learn together……Don!