Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to offer the private collection of Southwest jewelry from a major dealer/collector. The extensive sale will be held in several parts:  Part 1 features 200 top-quality Native American works from the Navajo, Zuni and Hopi. Offerings include bracelets, squash blossom and other necklaces, rings, belt buckles, watch bands, earrings, ketos and more for men, women and children. Parts 2 and 3, to be offered in 2017, feature Western jewelry and artworks.  

The owner of the collection was a major dealer and collector of Navajo, Zuni and Hopi jewelry in Southern California for over 30 years. From the mid-1970s to the early 2000s, he operated a retail business that sold vintage, contemporary and custom Southwest jewelry to movie studios, prop and costume houses, and collectors. The items range from the 1950s to about 1990, plus ones from the 1920s and 1930s during the “Harvey House period.” Everything is original and hand-made. Most items are crafted of solid silver – either sterling or coin silver. The majority were crafted by talented artists; many are maker-stamped. Some are vintage ceremonial pieces; other contemporary pieces feature gold enhancements. Overall, the owner’s quest was to obtain top-quality items that were out of the ordinary – specifically, “the finest examples of handwork we could find.”