Dig It - 6/29/26

Recollections, Ep 5: The 21st Century and Beyond

Well Fellow Seekers, this is the final episode of this brief but hopefully entertaining and informative trip from the past into the future. One of the interesting twists that started in the 21st century was the inclusion and demand for other areas of Southwestern jewelry that had been somewhat overlooked. Artifacts such as horse bridles and squash blossom necklaces were not as collectible as bracelets, belts, and rings. Now, both of these categories had been collected in the past but not at the prices they are currently demanding. A friend of mine, who is an expert on antique Southwestern jewelry and an excellent craftsman in traditional silver-working techniques, once explained to me how much more work it takes to make a squash blossom necklace than a bracelet. Another change in the silver market has been the quest for early, plain ingot silver bracelets. In the last ten years, these bracelets have been in great demand as collectors have learned to appreciate their primitive yet sophisticated look.

Where is the market headed? I know that the early Southwestern jewelry from the 1880s-1920s has been really rare for a long time. I don’t expect much more to come out on the market any time soon. To me, this means prices will continue to rise. I know one auction house realized around $22,000 for a good bracelet, which makes me wonder what a "great" one would be worth. Keep the faith Fellow Seekers, and I will see you on down the road. Lonesome