At Valley Fine Art, our selection of Old Pawn Jewelry is the best in Aspen. We feature pieces from several tribes, including Navajo and Zuni. We offer rings, earrings, pins, bracelets, bolo ties, and Ketohs. We have a few Colorado bear claw necklaces with silver and turquoise. Our multi-strand turquoise necklaces with old-style squaw wrap are delicate and lovely. When you wear one of Valley Fine Art’s wide variety of turquoise and silver Old Pawn pieces you are wearing a piece of history. Old Pawn holds a treasured place among vintage jewelry because each piece increases in value as it ages.
Each item of Old Pawn Jewelry is a tangible piece of Native American history. Because many Native Americans did not have easy access to banks or cash, these pieces of silver and turquoise jewelry acted basically as currency. Furthermore, native Americans believed in the power of turquoise to heal and protect. In hard times, native Americans pawned their heirloom pieces of jewelry as collateral against loans. When the crops came in, for example, and the debts were paid, the family would buy back their pieces. If the family was unable to repay the loan by the agreed-upon date, the trader was authorized to sell the piece. In that way, the jewelry enters wider circulation.
Each piece tells a story of a family legacy and holds a tribe’s history. These intricate pieces of jewelry have been the pride of the family, worn as ceremonial pieces, worn to protect the wearer, worn in celebration, and in times of difficulty. Look closely at
the detailed turquoise inlay. At the delicate tooling on the silver. At the precise carving of the stone. Elders of the tribe wore these pieces and literally carried their wealth with them.
When appraising Old Pawn Native American jewelry, we treat each piece with reverence and respect. We are holding a part of someone’s life history. Often these pieces were passed down through generations. The patina on the silver and the smoothness of the stone combine to hint at the great mystery of these old pawn pieces.
Come, see, and try on these tangible historical heirlooms for yourself.