Vintage Sterling Silver Overlay |
About Native American authenticity.
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Vintage Sterling Silver Overlay P521
- $170 plus s/h | ||||||||||
Paula says - "This vintage bear pendant is 5/16" thick, which would make you think it's heavy. But it is hollow, so very light weight for its size. Excellent workmanship on the traditional overlay design - very precise with clean edges. "In my opinion, this pendant shows design characteristics and workmanship of being Navajo made. But because there is no hallmark that we can attribute to a specific artist we can't legally sell it as Native American made - read more."
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Native American Bear SymbolismBear 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. |
About Silver100% solid silver won't tarnish but it is too soft to use for making jewelry - it could easily be scratched, dented and bent. Sterling silver has a small amount of one or more other metals usually copper, added to the silver. To be called sterling silver, the alloy must contain at least 92.5% pure silver. Sterling silver alloy is harder than pure silver but the added metals also can cause discoloration or tarnish. |
What is Overlay?Native American overlay pieces are made of two layers of sterling silver. The bottom layer is a solid piece while the top layer has a cutout design. The cutout layer is placed over the bottom layer and the two pieces are "sweated" together, heated so that they become one solid piece of sterling silver. The bottom layer, or background, that shows through the cut out portion of the top layer is often darkened for contrast. Hopi
silversmiths typically texture the background layer with hash marks while Navajo
artists often leave the background smooth. Hopi artists tend to use geometric
designs and symbols similar to those used in their pottery and baskets. Navajo
silversmiths tend to create scenes depicting everyday life using people, animals,
buildings and landscapes to tell a story - this style is called "overlay storyteller
jewelry". Read
more about overlay here. |
Our
Rescue Mission |
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 | |
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. |
