Hector Goodluck, Navajo
19 Bear Fetish Necklace

HK Item #N728

Jewelry < Vintage Jewelry < Vintage Necklaces

mother of pearl bear fetish necklace by Navajo artisan Hector Goodluck 28 1/2 inches long

size	28 1/2" end to end 19 bears approx. 1" long
materials	mother of pearl, pen shell and turquoise heishi, read about stones sterling silver, read about silver
condition	pre-owned, excellent, like new; no broken or missing pieces
artist	Hector Goodluck, Navajo

mother of pearl bear fetish necklace by Navajo artisan Hector Goodluck 28 1/2 inches long

Strung on string with pen shell and turquoise heishi.

mother of pearl bear fetish necklace by Navajo artisan Hector Goodluck 28 1/2 inches long

Sterling silver cones and hook and eye.

Questions or more details.

Hector Goodluck, Navajo
19 Bear Fetish Necklace

N728 - $195 plus s/h
(ONLY ONE AVAILABLE)

Paula says - "Hector Goodluck is one of the most respected Indian carvers of bear fetish necklaces. His detailed work is clean and precise and is valued by collectors around the world."

mother of pearl bear fetish necklace by Navajo artisan Hector Goodluck 28 1/2 inches long

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The Grizzli Collection

The Grizzli Collection of authentic Native American jewelry Garris was an attorney in New York City, and was once an assistant district attorney for Queens County. It was during her legal career that she was nicknamed "Grizzli" by her colleagues for her relentless aggression in the courtroom going after white collar criminals; her late husband, David, called her "Grizzli" ever since they met, and her license plate also read"Grizzli". When Garris attended law school, she met her best friend Gila, who moved to Tucson, and it was on trips to Arizona visiting Gila that Garris fell in love with Native American jewelry, especially pieces with birds or bears (given her nickname). David was half Cherokee, and even though Garris was very much a Jewish New Yorker without any personal connection to tribal culture or artwork, her love for David amplified her interest in Native American symbolism. Over the years, she amassed an extensive collection of southwest jewelry. We are pleased to find new homes for Grizzli's collection. Many pieces, although beautiful, are not Native American made, and that's why we are selling them here in the Bargain Barn.

What is a Fetish Necklace?

First, a Native American fetish is a stone or shell carving, usually in the image of an animal. Indian fetishes can be carried or displayed. Those that are carried are often called pocket fetishes. Those that are displayed are called table fetishes. Zuni artists are the traditional fetish carvers, but there are many talented Navajo carvers as well.

Native American fetish necklaces use small fetishes that are drilled and strung like beads with fine shell, turquoise or jet heishi in between. The animals can vary but often include birds, bears, horses, mountain lions, turtles, foxes, wolves and many others. The stones usually used include turquoise, mother of pearl, pink shell, acoma jet, serpentine, pipestone and many others.
Read more about fetishes.

Native American Bear Symbolism

Bear is considered the most powerful of all of the animals and is one of the most popular subjects of Native American carvers. Bear is a spiritual guide and represents strength and self-knowledge. Bear has supernatural powers and great healing powers. Bear is a symbol deliberate action, introspection, soul and insight for the past and the future. The Bear is the guardian of the West an is one of the animals of the Six Directions. Bears are the main figure in the Mountain Way, an important Navajo ceremony. Bear claws are a traditional adornment to pendants and bracelets.

Is it Mother of Pearl or Abalone?

Mother of pearl, also known as nacre, is the outer coating of pearls and is also a protective layer that forms the lining of some mollusks including abalone. It is strong, resilient, and iridescent, which means that it changes color as the angle of view or the angle of light changes. Mother of pearl from most mollusks has a milky white or silver appearance, whereas mother of pearl from abalone has dark rainbow hues. Read more . . .

NOTE: Items in our Vintage Shop are either USED or NEW. They might come from inheritances, estate sales, private collections, and store liquidations. Many items are brand new (NOS, New Old Stock) and in perfect condition while others may show tarnish, scratches and other signs of use. Major issues will be described in detail and shown in photos. Vintage Shop items are sold as described and are not returnable.

Horsekeeping LLC - Definitions of Jewelry Age and Condition © 2015 Horsekeeping LLC © Copyright Information
Patina	A dark or colored film of oxidation that forms naturally on metal exposure to air and other elements. It is often valued for its aesthetically pleasing appearance.
Vintage	30 years or older.
NOS	New Old Stock. Retail store inventory from at least 10 years ago.
Pre-owned	An item that has been used.

Our Rescue Mission
of Native American Indian Jewelry and Artifacts

We are in the vintage Native American jewelry rescue business and are passionate about finding new homes for used and vintage jewelry and artifacts. That's why we purchase Native American pieces from estates, inheritances, collection downsizing and New Old Stock (NOS) inventory from closed stores.

Often people contact us after taking a box of Native American jewelry to their local pawn shop and find that a pawn shop is mainly interested in melt value of the metals and not in preserving the beautiful historic pieces. To hear that people have considered selling these treasures for melt value makes us truly sad.

Melt value is usually far below what we would offer for the jewelry. Yet we can't pay retail price for items because of the time and cost involved in finding new homes for them. We have to research, often repair and restore the jewelry, photograph and list each item on our website, and sometimes hold pieces in inventory for years until the right buyer comes along.

We hope you'll find something special in our vintage shop that will complete yet another circle of our jewelry re-homing mission.

Hector Goodluck, Navajo19 Bear Fetish Necklace

The Grizzli Collection

Native American Bear Symbolism

Is it Mother of Pearl or Abalone?

Our Rescue Missionof Native American Indian Jewelry and Artifacts

Hector Goodluck, Navajo
19 Bear Fetish Necklace

Our Rescue Mission
of Native American Indian Jewelry and Artifacts