TUMBLEWEEDS JEWELRY
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AUTHENTICITY:

All of the Native American jewelry that we sell was handcrafted or handmade by Native American artists here in the U.S.A. We do not sell copies or knock-offs from foreign countries. We purchase most new items either directly from the artist or from reputable dealers who represent the artist. Most new items are hallmarked by the artist and come with an Authenticity Card stating the artist's name and tribal affiliation. The pawn items are purchased by us, in person, from reputable Southwestern pawn shops with whom we have dealt for many years. Most of the vintage pieces are obtained from private collectors or from well-respected Western and Native American Art auction houses in New Mexico. 

We have specialized in Native American Indian Jewelry for the last 30 years. We are in full compliance with the US Dept. of the Interior American Indian Arts & Crafts Act of 1990. We were a member of the Indian Arts and Crafts Association (IACA) from 2008 until 2018, when the IACA unfortunately disbanded. Although the Indian Arts and Crafts Association (IACA) dissolved in 2018, as a former IACA member, we promise to promote, preserve and protect authentic American Indian arts and crafts. Our experience insures the authenticity of the jewelry we sell and protects your investment. 

In many cases the earlier Native American jewelry was not marked for silver content or maker. We test all such jewelry for silver content and we only sell jewelry that is coin silver (.900/90%) or sterling silver (.925/92.5%). 

If we can not determine with certainty that an unsigned vintage jewelry item was made by a Native American artist, we list it in the Vintage Southwestern Jewelry category. We sell a limited number of Mexican jewelry pieces and jewelry made by non-Native artists and this jewelry is sold in the Non-Indian Made Jewelry category.

TURQUOISE - NATURAL OR STABILIZED

All the gemstones used in our new Native American jewelry are genuine. The turquoise is either natural or stabilized. Natural turquoise is listed as natural. If the description does not say "natural" then the turquoise is most likely stabilized.  The majority of the turquoise on the market today (close to 95% of it) is stabilized. Stabilized turquoise is not "BAD" and it is still genuine turquoise. Stabilization prevents the turquoise from staining, fading, changing color or breaking and makes it impervious to body oils, lotions and other beauty products. The pores of the stone have been filled with a clear resin that makes the stone more usable. If this type of turquoise was not on the market, many jewelry artisans would not be employed and turquoise jewelry would be outrageously expensive. Most turquoise heishi is stabilized.  It is not practical to use a high-grade natural stone for heishi because too much turquoise is wasted in the grinding and the resultant beads will be fragile and will eventually change color as well.