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This vintage spirit bear necklace has been beautifully crafted by Navajo artists Jack and Mary Tom. Jack and Mary are known for their traditional spirit bear pieces. Mary is recognized for creating the elegant silver beads which complement Jack's spirit bear pendants. The bear is signed "Sterling, IHMJ (Indian Handmade Jewelry), JT. This necklace has silver patina from age and is in great vintage condition.
Pendant: 2 5/8" across x 2 3/48" (including the silver loop at the top)Necklace: 25.5" longCylinder Beads: 1 1/4" x 3/8"Weight: 109 grams, 3.8 ounces
Jack Tom, born in 1948, draws inspiration from his rich cultural heritage, incorporating Anasazi patterns, sandcast techniques, and traditional spirit bear and lightning motifs into his creations. During their marriage, Mary was deeply involved in the creation process—frequently fabricating the elegant silver beads and complementing pendants that showcased Jack’s signature designs
Throughout the 40 years that I have been in business, I have purchased jewelry from pawn shops throughout the Southwest that had collections of dead pawn. Most of these pawn shops and trading posts are now closed. The Native American would pawn his jewelry for immediate cash. The shop would hold it and charge interest until he could reclaim it. Dead pawn are the pieces that were never retrieved. Old Pawn Jewelry typically dates from the early 1900s to the 1970s. Most of the early pieces are not signed because it wasn't the Native American tradition to sign the pieces they crafted. Also, the turquoise in old pawn is turquoise that you can't get anymore because many of the mines have closed. And, the red and orange coral is rare because of the coral bleaching which is happening today.
