According to the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990, any item produced after 1935 that is marketed as “Indian,” “Native American” or “Alaska Native” must have been made by a member of a state or federally-recognized tribe or a certified Indian artisan. That is a non-member Indian artisan who is certified by the governing body of an Indian tribe.

3 Tips for Buying Genuine American Indian Jewelry & Crafts

1. Buy from an established dealer who gives a written guarantee or written verification of authenticity. Ask if your item comes with a certification tag. Not all authentic Indian arts and crafts carry this tag, but those that do are certified by the Department of the Interior (DOI) to be genuine. This sample tag identifies the artisan as a member of the Oklahoma Indian Arts and Crafts Cooperative. However, you may see a different name and logo appearing in the circle on the item you buy.

2. Get a receipt that includes information about the value of your purchase and any verbal representations by the salesperson. For example, if the salesperson tells you that the piece of jewelry you’re buying is sterling silver and natural turquoise and was handmade by an American Indian artisan, make sure this information is documented on your receipt.

3. Before buying American Indian arts and crafts at powwows, annual fairs, juried competitions, and other events, check the event requirements for information about the authenticity of the products for sale. Many events list their requirements in newspaper ads, promotional flyers and printed programs. If the event organizers don’t say anything about the authenticity of the American Indian arts and crafts for sale, get written verification for any item you buy that is sold as authentic.

Tags : American Indian Jewelry, Jewelry

There are many different types of jewelry boxes available in the market place today. Most are beautiful and made of just about all materials. A jewelry box serves as place where on keeps jewelry and other precious trinkets. Some jewelry boxes are family heirlooms having passed on from generation to the next. Some are simple designed wooden boxes whilst others are extravagantly jewelry studded porcelain boxes.

Originally jewelry boxes had a flip top lid with a musical song that played when you opened the lid. Over time however, jewelry boxes have changed. They are now being built with more drawers to accommodate more jewelry. Choosing the perfect jewelry box can be a challenge. Take into account what you want to store in it, which will then determine the size. The lining of the jewelry box is usually velvet, which serves to protect you precious collectables. Another determinant is the amount of money you are willing to spend.

A handmade jewelry box adds a personal touch to a gift and can be made with some woodworking knowledge. If you have the tools required for a wood work project, this could be very satisfactory. The recipient of such a gift will treasure it immensely.

First you need to start by looking over other jewelry boxes to get ideas. Once you have your ideas, determine the dimensions of the jewelry box you are interested in making. The size will be determined by the function of the box. How much jewelry will be stored in the box. Does your gift recipient have a lot of jewelry or trinkets or will they keep the jewelry box for display purposes? Then make a full scale drawing of the jewelry box. Next decide on the box proportion that you will use for your jewelry box. There are standard sizes for boxes; double cube, 1-2-3 box, root of 2 box. If you are making multiple boxes choose one size to save time. Decide on the type of wood you will use. This will depend solely on your budget, the hardness of the wood, the woods texture and the general workability of the wood and your level of expertise. If you have instructions follow them closely for a unique jewelry box.

If you use a purchased box or even a handmade one consider getting it engraved. This gives the box owner a sense of ownership.

Tags : Jewelry, Jewelry Services

Gold can last forever, will not corrode or rust and can be found anywhere. Gold exists in plants, rivers, oceans, mountains, it’s nearly everywhere but it is extremely difficult and costly to extract this amazing metal. Did you know that a single ounce of gold can be pulled into a thin wire that stretches nearly five miles long? An artisans hammer can work that same ounce into a very thin sheet that can cover a 10ft x 10ft(100sq. ft.) area. Also, it takes nearly 3 tons of gold or to extract a single ounce of pure gold. Well if you didn’t now you know!

Gold Basics

The word Gold, used by itself, means all gold or 24 karat (24K) gold. Because 24K gold is soft, it’s usually mixed with other metals to increase its hardness and durability. If a piece of jewelry is not 24 karat gold, the karat quality should accompany any claim that the item is gold.

The karat quality marking tells you what proportion of gold is mixed with the other metals. Fourteen karat (14K) jewelry contains 14 parts of gold, mixed in throughout with 10 parts of base metal. The higher the karat rating, the higher the proportion of gold in the piece of jewelry.

Most jewelry is marked with its karat quality, although marking is not required by law. Near the karat quality mark, you should see the name of the U.S. registered trademark of the company that will stand behind the mark. The trademark may be in the form of a name, symbol or initials. If you don’t see a trademark accompanying a quality mark on a piece of jewelry, look for another piece.

Solid gold refers to an item made of any karat gold, if the inside of the item is not hollow. The proportion of gold in the piece of jewelry still is determined by the karat mark.

Jewelry can be plated with gold in a variety of ways. Gold plate refers to items that are either mechanically plated, electroplated, or plated by any other means with gold to a base metal. Eventually, gold plating wears away, but how soon will depend on how often the item is worn and how thick the plating is.

Gold-filled, gold overlay and rolled gold plate are terms used to describe jewelry that has a layer of at least 10 karat gold mechanically bonded to a base metal. If the jewelry is marked with one of these terms, the term or abbreviation should follow the karat quality of the gold used (for example, 14K Gold Overlay or 12K RGP). If the layer of karat gold is less than 1/20th of the total weight of the item, any marking must state the actual percentage of karat gold, such as 1/40 14K Gold Overlay.

Gold electroplate describes jewelry that has a layer (at least .175 microns thick) of a minimum of 10 karat gold deposited on a base metal by an electrolytic process. The terms gold flashed or gold washed describe products that have an extremely thin electroplating of gold (less than .175 microns thick). This will wear away more quickly than gold plate, gold-filled or gold electroplate.

Vermeil (ver-may), a special type of gold plated product, consists of a base of sterling silver that is coated or plated with gold.

Tags : Gold Jewelry, Jewelry