One of the hardest parts about buying Native American jewelry is that there is a massive number of individuals and companies that are selling cheap knock-offs and imitation jewelry, so it is very easy to end up with a fake piece. This can be a major problem for anyone who collects Native American jewelry, as fake or imitation jewelry will essentially be a waste of money to a collector, while authentic pieces will often increase in value over time.
In addition, buying the cheap knock-offs that are often mass-produced overseas means that you are not actually supporting real Native American artists. Listed below are three methods that you can use to help ensure that you get authentic Native American jewelry.
Pay Attention To The Description
One of the easiest ways to weed out a lot of fake Native American jewelry is to pay attention to the words used in the labels and the description of the piece that you are buying. The reason for this is that laws in the United States require that any product labeled or described as being "Indian" or "Native American" must have been produced by a member of a tribe or nation that the federal government recognizes. As a result, a person selling a fake product will often try to get tricky with their phrasing by saying things like "Indian-style" when describing the jewelry.
Look For Identical Pieces
Another easy way to determine if someone is trying to sell a fake piece of Native American jewelry is to see if he or she has multiple identical pieces to the one that you are considering buying. This is a big warning sign as authentic Native American jewelry is typically not going to be mass-produced. Similar pieces are not necessarily fakes because the jewelry may have been produced by a single Native American artist, tribe, or nation, in which case similar pieces are to be expected. However, the pieces should not be identical.
Look For Inscriptions
Finally, you will want to make sure that you inspect the jewelry for any inscriptions. Authentic Native American jewelry will typically not have inscriptions or hallmarks on the jewelry, but many companies that mass-produce imitation products will have an engraving stamped into the item that states what company made them. Authentic Native American jewelry is much more likely to have a hand-carved set of initials or signature on the piece of jewelry.
Visit your local Native American jewelry store or visit an online site today in order to see the wide array of authentic pieces that are available to you. You can reduce the chances of buying a fake piece by paying attention to the exact words used in the description while also looking for multiple identical pieces and any inscriptions on the pieces.
Share16 June 2016
A few days ago, my mother-in-law’s dad passed away. This sweet man lived a long, full life. He was ninety-one-years-old when he died. At his funeral, my mother-in-law told me she liked the ruby, cross pendant I was wearing. Because I wanted to cheer this sweet woman up, I immediately came up with a plan. I decided to buy her a pendant like mine. Because this pendant was also available in sapphire, I decided to purchase this stone for my mother-in-law. Sapphire is her birthstone. On this blog, I hope you will discover the best types of jewelry items to buy for a mother-in-law. Enjoy!