Dig It - 8/1/22
The Prospector always says, “Take the Long View”...
It has been 42 years since I bought my first “Antique” or “Old” Navajo jewelry. Fellow Seekers, you are looking at one of the three pieces I purchased that Fateful Spring in 1980. I bought three bracelets from Tony Berlant, via Bruce James who was then and still is a great person. Bruce could not have charged me much, because I was in Graduate School at NYU and was working part time for Art Dealers at $6.50 an hour. Along with this bracelet, there were two other bracelets, both superb 19th century ingot pieces. After that I was off and running. I scoured Brimfield, Renningers, and Boutville just to name a few - all the great Antique shows and Flea Markets of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states.
Honestly, I did not find a lot of Great Early Navajo Silver. Though every once in a while, I would come up with an early cuff or a great 1930s stone bracelet. Back then most of my great early pieces came from Pickers or Dealers, some of whom are still with us, some of them have gone under. There are a few of them who were real “Characters”, but the important thing was that most of them loved the material and knew something about it. For all you who are relatively new to the “Great Game”, keep hunting, keep searching, keep learning and keep your passion. Seek Out!