Indian Jewelry

Q I just saw an old American Indian belt with silver ovals set with turquoise stones and some wire decorations. It is marked with a strange mark that looks like a wishbone surrounded by leaves and the word sterling. I tried to look it up but had no luck. How can I tell how old it is?

A Most early Indian jewelry is not marked. It was often made from reworked silver coins, a lower grade, so the word ”sterling” did not appear. It was used on many pieces sold in stores by 1906. The silver ovals are called conches and they were often used to decorate leather belts. The old pieces, made before the 1970s, probably are made with stones from American mines but cutters didn’t like to make round or oval stones. So more recent jewelry often used turquoise imported from Persia or Italy. It takes an expert to tell what kind of turquoise was used and if the setting is made from coins or is sterling. It also takes and expert to recognize the quality of the work. Buy from a recognized dealer in Indian jewelry to be sure you are getting your moneys world.