>> Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have a printed catalog?

No. Our website is our catalog. Since most of our turquoise jewelry is one of a kind and is our inventory is ever changing we do not have a printed catalog.

Do you appraise jewelry?

No, we do not appraise jewelry. You may contact joancaballero@msn.com for appraisals.

Do you have a layaway plan?

Yes, we do layaways. We like to have 1/3 down payment at the time of purchase and paid in three months. If the you are purchasing a larger item and would like to extend payments out to 4-5 months please let us know. We are quite flexible. You may call in your layaway order, select the layaway option at checkout or email us that you are sending in payment and we will remove this item so that it does not sell in the meantime. Layaway option at checkout automatically removes the item from the website. You may also click the Paypal option and it will automatically remove the item and put in the comment field that you will be calling in payment or mailing in payment. Any questions, just email!

What is your guarantee and return policy?

We give a Certificate of Authenticity with every Zuni Fetish and each piece of Native American Indian jewelry that you purchase from us.

Your purchase is 100 % Satisfaction Guaranteed.

If someone needs to return something we ask that it is returned within 10 days of receipt and in original condition. You will receive a 100 % refund of the price of the item.

Want to exchange? Sure. No extra shipping cost for exchanges same amount or more!

Christmas gifts ordered in November and December can be exchanged or returned through January 10th.

Can I exchange an item that I recently purchased?

Yes, no extra shipping costs for exchanges same amount or more. Email us that you want to exchange and we will remove the item for exchange from the website.

How do you ship?

We ship via U.S. Priority Mail or UPS with insurance in the continental. U.S. Shipping is a $7.00 flat rate. Express Mail 2 Day is available for a flat rate of $22.95. FedEx ground is a flat rate of 9.50 and takes approx. 4-5 business days. We now offer Fed Ex over night shipping for online orders of flat rate of $47.00. If overnight FedEx amount to your location is quite less upon shipping we will credit that amount back to your account. FedEx overnight with a Saturday delivery is available for an additional charge.


Alaska - $10.95

What types of payment do you take?

We take Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Paypal, checks and money orders.

Do you size rings?

Ring sizing is usually $18.00. If the charge for sizing comes out less than quoted we will refund the difference back to you. Some rings we can size up 1/2 to a full size, depending on the ring, using a jeweler's ring roller free of charge. Note that some rings due to how they are made cannot be sized such as inlay. The easiest way and most accurate way to determine your ring size is to go to your local jeweler and either have your finger sized or take a ring that fits well and have it measured. Keep in mind wider band widths fit a bit smaller. We do not size rings that are not ours.

Shop rings

 

Do you convert earrings to clip on?

All earrings are pieced unless otherwise noted in the description. We can convert easily any earring on a French wire or ball post to a clip-on earring. The cost of the sterling silver converter is $3.00. If the earring is a post earring that you wish to convert, please e-mail us on the possibility of converting it to a clip-on earring. This will depend on the post earring and how it was made.

Shop Earrings

How do I determine my bracelet size?

The easiest way is to measure your wrist with a tape measure or use a string and then measure the string with a ruler. Add the inside measurement of the bracelet to the opening measurement for total circumference. Bracelets that are adjustable are easiest to fit for size and comfort.

Shop Bracelets
 

Do you repair Indian jewelry?

We offer a 6 month workmanship warranty free of charge - no cost to customer. Items that have been damaged or broken will only be charged actual repair costs from the silversmith and shipping. We only repair items purchased from us. For items not purchased from us that are in need of repair you can contact Chuck at Jeweler's Repair Shop: 505-266-9057.

Do you do custom work?

Not typically. If you are interested in a piece of jewelry we have but would like one made in a different size or stone this may be possible depending on who and how busy the silversmith is.

How do I care for my Native American Indian jewelry?
We highly recommend cleaning your Native American jewelry and silver jewelry with a polishing cloth and storing your jewelry in a jeweler’s zip lock bag to prevent tarnish. Soft clothes and tissue may also be used. Your stones should be kept away from harsh chemicals, cleaning detergents and heat. Some stones can be permanently damaged if cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner: amber, coral, turquoise, lapis, opal, pearl. We have found the best cleaner that is safe for your gemstones to be Hagerty Silversmith’s Spray Polish. 

Stones should be occasionally checked. If the stones are loose and wiggle, some simple repairs can be made by the owner. By placing a tiny amount of glue, such as Sobo – polyvinyl acetate emulsion, between the edges of a loosened stone and its bezel will help secure the stone. The edges of the bezel can be gently pressed in around the loosened stone, also, to help tighten the setting. If your stone comes completely out, the stone needs to be reset by an experienced jeweler or silversmith. Avoid excess bending of bracelets and most inlay bracelets can not be stretched or bent. With proper care, you should have a lifetime of enjoyment. 

Do you purchase Native American artifacts?

We may or we may know of someone interested in purchasing these items:

Native American pre-1950's beadwork

Native American pre-1960's pottery

Native American pre-1920's rugs

Cowboy and Indian artifacts pre-1920's

Who are the Santo Domingo?
The Santo Domingo Indians are one of the 18 modern-day Rio Grande pueblo tribes that are descended mainly from the prehistoric Anasazi. The puebloans moved into the Rio Grande valley in the 14th century A.D. The Rio Grande pueblo reservations are the Acoma, Cochiti, Isleta, Jemez, Laguna, Nambe, Picuris, Projoaque, San Felipe, San Ildefonso, San Juan, Sandia, Santa Ana, Santa Clara, Santo Domingo, Taos, Tesuque and Zia.

The Santo Domingo create both silver, shell and authentic turquoise jewelry. The Santo Domingo traditionally have made rolled turquoise and shell “heishi” beads similar to those of their prehistoric ancestors.

To make a strand of beads, the turquoise or shell are drilled and carefully ground and polished into shape by pulling them across a grinding stone. Finer the strand of beads, the more skill, time and cost.

Who are the Zuni?
The Zuni Indian pueblo is in itself a unique place because it is secluded, off the beaten path, and in ways untouched. The reservation is approximately 35 miles south of Gallup, set along the western border of New Mexico. The Zuni reservation has around 6,000 members and is on a high plateau lying between six thousand and nine thousand feet. The Zuni language is spoken by fewer than eight thousand people and no other people speak a language even similar to Zuni.

The ancestors of the Zuni are the Anasazi and Mongollon. They and their ancestors have been making Zuni Indian jewelry for over one thousand years. There are approximately two hundred Zuni craftsmen at this time. The Zuni are known for their intricate stone cutting: petite point, needle point, inlay and detailed stone carvings known as fetishes.

Who are the Navajo?
The largest Southwest American Indian reservation and the nation’s largest tribe is that of the Navajo which has more than 160,000 members. The Navajo Indians call themselves Dine’, “the people”. Their reservation is in Northern Arizona, New Mexico and southwestern Utah. The Navajo ancestors were hunters and gatherers from the north who wandered into the Southwest around 500 to 800 years ago. The language is Athapascan and is similar to the Apache tribe of the Southwest. Their language is related to that of the Athapascan people living in northwestern Canada. 

The Navajo were the first Southwest American Indians to learn silversmithing. The first Navajo to learn silversmithing was Atsidi Sani, or “Old Smith”, in the 1850’s. The earliest Navajo Indian jewelry was made using American or Mexican silver coins as well as ingots. Today, the squash blossom and concha belt are the most known form of Navajo silversmithing as well as bracelets, watchbands, rings, barrettes, earrings and necklaces.

The Navajo make both hand hammered {hand stamped} and hand cast silver Navajo Indian jewelry. One of the earliest forms was that of sandstone or tufa casting {sandcast} in which the design is carved out into a two-piece block of sandstone or volcanic tuff “tufa” and then blackened with smoke to keep the molten silver from sticking. Usually, no more than five or six casts could be made before the tufa block wore out. About 90% of handcasting today in done by using concrete or oil molds. 

Who are the Hopi?
The Hopi, “Peaceful Ones”, ancestry mainly traces back to the Anasazi who werethe prehistoric inhabitants of the Four Corners. The Hopi nation totals approximately 8,500 and is surrounded by the Navajo reservation in northeastern Arizona. The Old Oraibi pueblo was built before 1150 A.D. and is said to be the oldest continuously occupied village in the United States. The Hopi speak a Shoshonean language.

Early Hopi Indian jewelry was made from turquoise, shell, wood and seeds. Around 1890, silverworking was introduced to the Hopi and in the 1930’s a distinctive style emerged known today as overlay. The Hopi Silvercraft Guild was founded in 1949.
In overlay, two sheets of silver are soldered together after cutting out designs in the top layer with the under layer visible which has been oxidized and textured with chisel marks or stamp work. A matte or satin finish is usually given to their silverwork using steel wool. Typically, no stones are used. 

Other tribes and silversmiths also create overlay but it is usually plain and untextured. In recent years, less expensive, mass produced, machine made imitations have been flooding the market.

What is the “Man in the Maze”?
The “man in the maze” was originally created as an illustration of the emergence story by the Tohono O’odham or Papago Indians of the Central Valley in Arizona. The “man in the maze” is a visual representation of the Tohono O’odham Indians belief in life, death and the life after death. From family to family, interpretations vary slightly. The human figure at the top of the maze with seven concentric circles with the seed pattern in the center represents birth and the center death. The maze is our journey through life and the roads we choose, the many turns and changes. Through all of our struggles and lessons, we grow wiser and stronger as we progress towards the center of the maze. The center represents death and becoming one with Elder Brother, I’itoi, the Creator. As one approaches death, one is able to look back on the completed journey with its many twists and turns, and finally be pure and in harmony with the world, death and eternal life are accepted. The right choices lead us to a point of harmony. The Gila River Indians, the Akimel O’odham, believe at this point that death is the beginning of a new journey and, thus, the cycle repeats itself.

What is Dendrite Turquoise?
Dendrite turquoise is produced by the crystallization of a foreign mineral, usually an oxide of manganese at the time the turquoise is being formed. Dendrite turquoise has a unusual fern-like pattern in the matrix and is very rare.