Vintage Native American Navajo Sterling Silver & Blue Turquoise Concho Belt 1950

A very good Vintage sterling silver & blue turquoise Native American Navajo Concho belt, circa 1950.
This very attractive Navajo belt is made up of oval silver discs with tooled & pressed floral outlines, each oval disc is adorned to the center with silver curls & leaves and inlaid with polished blue turquoise cabochons. The belt is a little over 36" in length and is very sturdy and well made, the links are solid, the belt is in excellent condition and ready to wear.
later belts & jewelry made by the Navajo tribe have more or larger amounts of turquoise decoration, this is a very fine  & extremely well made concho belt.
Silver Weight 118 Grams
    
 The likely etymology of word “Concho” comes from the Spanish word “concha” which means conch or seashell, this described the oval or round silver disks that decorated horse dressings such as bridles and saddles, as well as clothing and jewelry such as bolo ties, belts, chaps, and pendants; the accessories of the Great Western cowboy! The traditional Concho belt is often credited to the Navajo and Zuni tribes, people indigenous to the Southwestern United States. However, it is believed that the Spanish, Mexicans, and other people native to the area also influenced the Concho belt’s evolution.
     The Navajo learned the art of metal working from the Mexicans in the 19th century, and it is believed that the first Concho belt was an adaptation of horse bridle buckles found there. As trade increased with Europeans in the Plains Territory, the Navajo began to make Conchos out of silver coins they had with them. They are credited with being the first Native Americans to produce silver jewelry in the area. Keeping in mind the tools at the time, these Conchos were truly impressive. The intricate and unique geometric and floral designs represented an incredible amount of hard work and patience to finish. Silversmiths worked on small discs, creating and often replicating designs one at a time with home-made die and a hammer.

Diameter 36"

Imperial

2 inches high × ches wide × ches deep

Metric

high × wide x deep

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