Silver and Turquoise Bracelet with Coin Silver Stamp Mark [SOLD]

A unique blue-green cabochon of turquoise is the centerpiece of this 1930s bracelet. The round turquoise gemstone is set in a straight-edged bezel that rests on a split shank. The band is stamped with arrows and sun rays. When such bracelets were originally sold, the buyers would receive a pamphlet with the meanings of the stamps. The arrow symbolized protection and the sun's rays represented consistency. This was part of the marketing of the manufacturer. The bracelet is stamped IH COIN SILVER.

Pat Messier and Kim Messier, authors of the book Reassessing Hallmarks of Native Southwest Jewelry published a clarification of the stamped mark IH COIN SILVER and we are pleased to post their findings.

They indicate that Maisels of Albuquerque, one of the largest coin silver and turquoise jewelry factories, employed mostly Indian labor. One of the three lines of their coin silver jewelry was stamped IH COIN SILVER, as on this bracelet. The explanation is that IH stood for Indian Handcrafts, which was deceptive because it could easily be misconstrued to mean Indian Handmade. The products displaying this hallmark were all strictly machine made with little or no hand finishing.

"The misrepresentation of products in Maisel's catalogs was brought to the attention of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC instituted proceedings against Maisel's in 1932, focusing on its use of the slogan 'Indian Made Jewelry,' the complaint charged that the products were not those of handcraft or artistry. Maruice Maisel denied the allegations, maintaining that his Albuquerque workshop was not a factory, that he employed only full-blooded Indians, and that those Indians produced all of the jewelry the company made and sold." [Messier, 2014:26]

Maisels and the FTC continued this allegation for several years. Read more about it in the referenced book, pages 26-27.

Condition: excellent condition.

Provenance: this Silver and Turquoise Bracelet with Coin Silver Stamp Mark is from a collector in Albuquerque

Reference: Reassessing Hallmarks of Native Southwest Jewelry by Pat Messier & Kim Messier, 2014

Relative Links: Southwest Indian Jewelry, Navajo Nation, Bracelets

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