How to Buy Authentic Native American Jewelry — Online, In Person & Direct from the Artist
The short answer, up top: The single rule for buying authentic Native American jewelry is to buy from a source that names the artist and their nation. Under the U.S. Indian Arts and Crafts Act, “authentic” means made by an enrolled member of a recognized tribe — so a named, documented maker is what makes a piece genuine, whether you buy it at a market, from a museum shop, from a reputable online dealer, or directly from the artist. Here’s where to buy and how to vet a seller.
Where to buy — four good paths
- Directly from the artist. The most direct route — at markets, studios, or increasingly through artists’ own social media and websites. You get provenance straight from the maker, and more of your money reaches them.
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Juried Native art markets (in person). The gold standard for meeting artists and buying with confidence:
- Santa Fe Indian Market (SWAIA) — the largest juried Native arts market in the world, every August in Santa Fe, NM.
- Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market — Phoenix, AZ, every spring.
- Regional markets, pueblo feast days, and the trading-post towns of the Southwest (Gallup, NM among them).
- Museum shops and established trading posts. Museum stores (the Heard, the Wheelwright, the IAIA) and long-standing trading posts curate authentic, documented work.
- Reputable online dealers. For most buyers, online is the practical route — and it’s trustworthy if the seller discloses the artist and provenance (see the vetting checklist below).
How to vet an online seller
Before you buy online, check that the seller:
- Names the artist and their nation on the product (not just “Native American style”).
- Discloses how the stone was treated — natural, stabilized, or reconstituted.
- Can explain provenance and answers “who made this?” specifically.
- Has real reviews and a clear return policy.
- Shows the hallmark or documentation where applicable.
If a listing only says “Native American style” or “Southwest style,” names no artist, and is priced far below the cost of the materials — treat it as unverified (and quite possibly illegal to sell as Native-made). Our companion guide, how to spot fake Native American jewelry, covers the red flags in detail.
Buying online with confidence
Online buying is not less authentic than in-person — it comes down to disclosure. A trustworthy online dealer does in text what a market vendor does in person: tells you the artist, the nation, the materials, and the story of the piece. The clearest signal a seller takes authenticity seriously is that they publish who their artists are — a directory of named makers, their nations, and their hallmarks. (You can see that standard in our own silversmith directory and hallmark guide: every piece traced to a named designer or silversmith, Native artists credited by name and nation.)
A quick buyer’s checklist
- The artist is named and their nation identified
- Stone treatment is disclosed (natural / stabilized / reconstituted)
- Provenance or hallmark is documented
- Price is consistent with handmade silver + genuine stone
- Seller answers “who made this and where are they from?” without hedging
- Clear reviews + return policy
Frequently asked
What does “authentic Native American jewelry” legally mean? Under the Indian Arts and Crafts Act (1990), it means made by an enrolled member of a state- or federally-recognized tribe. A named, documented maker — not a “style” label — is what makes it authentic.
Where is the best place to buy authentic Native American jewelry? Juried markets like Santa Fe Indian Market and the Heard Museum Guild Fair are the gold standard in person; museum shops and established trading posts are reliable; and reputable online dealers work well if they name the artist and disclose provenance.
Is it safe to buy Native American jewelry online? Yes — if the seller names the artist and their nation, discloses stone treatment, and can explain provenance. The disclosure is what matters, not the channel.
How do I buy directly from a Native American artist? Many artists sell at markets, from their studios, and through their own websites and social media. Buying direct gives you provenance from the source and sends more of the price to the maker.
How can I tell if an online seller is legitimate? They name their artists (ideally in a public directory), disclose treatments, show hallmarks or documentation, and answer “who made this?” specifically — plus real reviews and a clear return policy.
However you buy, the rule is the same: authenticity is provenance, and provenance means a named maker. Meet artists by name and nation in our silversmith directory, learn to read a maker’s mark in our hallmark guide, spot the red flags in how to spot fake Native American jewelry, or go deeper in the Reference Shelf.
And when you’re ready to bring a piece home, every item in our gallery is credited to its named designer or silversmith — the exact standard this guide describes.
From the Library: Indian Arts and Crafts Board, Indian Arts and Crafts Act: Turquoise consumer brochure (2010)
2010 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2010, not today.
The Indian Arts and Crafts Board (2010) pointed buyers to New Mexico's stricter state law:
“The State of New Mexico’s Indian Arts and Crafts Sales Act, unlike the federal Indian Arts and Crafts Act, requires the seller to disclose in writing the type of materials used.”
— Indian Arts and Crafts Board (2010), p. 1 [1]
On the remedy, the Indian Arts and Crafts Board (2010) added:
“Under New Mexico law, a seller’s failure to give the required written disclosure to a consumer violates the State law and may entitle the consumer to a repayment of the purchase price upon the return of the item.”
— Indian Arts and Crafts Board (2010), p. 1 [1]
According to the Indian Arts and Crafts Board (2010, p. 1), buyers should ask for a written receipt listing the artist's name and Tribal affiliation, the mine the turquoise came from, whether the stone is natural, stabilized or treated, where it was purchased, the price, the date, and the seller's business address. [1]
And a last word of caution from the Indian Arts and Crafts Board (2010):
“Realize that authentic handmade pieces may be expensive…if a price seems too good to be true, be sure to ask more questions about the item and its maker.”
— Indian Arts and Crafts Board (2010), p. 1 [1]
From the Library: Lund, Indian Jewelry: Fact and Fantasy (1976)
1976 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 1976, not today.
As of 1976, Lund (1976, p. 9) counted nine states with laws against misrepresenting American Indian handcrafts (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico and South Dakota), and wrote that in most of them the law was weak and rarely enforced. [2]
Lund (1976) noted one exception:
“Colorado, however, with one of the strongest laws, became the first state to convict and fine an offender in 1975.”
— Lund (1976), p. 9 [2]
According to Lund (1976, p. 11), reputable Southwestern dealers formed the Indian Arts and Crafts Association in 1974, in answer to the rampant dishonesty of the boom years. [2]
As of 1976, Lund (1976, p. 12) reported that the Indian Arts and Crafts Association did not require its member dealers to sell only handmade jewelry set with natural turquoise, but did require them to tell the buyer whether a piece was authentic and whether its turquoise had been treated or stabilized. [2]
Lund (1976, p. 16) warned that many dealers who had only just entered the trade, rather than admit what they did not know, tended to make up dates, methods and stories, and that buyers who insisted on hearing that a piece was "pawn" or "worn by a chief" encouraged it. [2]
Lund (1976, p. 103) advised beginners to study museum collections first, then visit shops with no money in hand, ask to handle pieces, and ask dealers to point out the difference between stabilized and natural stones; she noted that reputable dealers did not use the hard sell. [2]
Lund (1976) gave the first question to ask any dealer:
“The first question to ask any dealer is, "Will you give me a written guarantee of authenticity on any piece of jewelry I buy?"”
— Lund (1976), p. 108 [2]
According to Lund (1976, p. 108), the guarantee should give the approximate age of the piece, its materials (sterling or coin silver, natural or treated turquoise), the mine the turquoise came from if known, a detailed description, and the price paid. [2]
Lund (1976, p. 109) added the tribal origin or style of the piece, the artist's name if known, and whether it was authentic Indian-made and handcrafted. [2]
From the Library: Tryk, Santa Fe Indian Market (1993)
1993 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 1993, not today.
As of 1993, Tryk (1993, p. 26) reported that artists who wanted a booth at Santa Fe Indian Market first applied to SWAIA with photographs or slides of their best work, had to prove they were Indian (usually by being listed on tribal rolls), and had their work reviewed by a standards committee of Indians and non-Indians. [3]
Writing in 1993, Tryk described what she called a built-in insurance for Market shoppers:
“All items for sale in the booths must be entirely handmade by the artist displaying the work. SWAIA evaluators patrol the booths to make sure these rules aren't being broken.”
— Tryk (1993), p. 33 [3]
Tryk (1993, p. 33) added that an artist caught breaking those rules was asked to leave and was not invited back. [3]
Writing in 1993, Tryk dated the Market's written rules:
“But in the 1970s, these strict standards and guidelines were written down, to insure the continuing quality of the works on display and sale.”
— Tryk (1993), p. 47 [3]
Tryk (1993, p. 47) added that the SWAIA evaluators who patrolled the Market to enforce its rules had been nicknamed the "art cops" by the local press. [3]
Tryk (1993, p. 61) suggested buyers use the judges' own criteria: first study the object and evaluate its concept (its aesthetic and emotional impact, its design, whether it is creative or a copy), then its complexity, then the workmanship down to the edges, the clasp and the way the stones are set. [3]
Writing in 1993, Tryk reported the Market's prize rule:
“Artists who compete for prizes at Indian Market must use only natural, untreated turquoise in their jewelry.”
— Tryk (1993), p. 62 [3]
From the Library: Manley, Portraits (1975)
1975 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 1975, not today.
Writing in 1975, the publisher Ray Manley gave buyers the same advice, adding a refund:
“Herein lies the necessity of knowing your dealer. If he is reputable, he will give you a written guarantee of the jewelry's authenticity and be willing to refund your money if he was mistaken.”
— Manley (1975), p. 3 [4]
Joe Ben Wheat, writing on "Old Pawn" in Ray Manley's 1975 Portraits & Turquoise of Southwest Indians, cautioned:
“"Old Pawn" has, in some ways, degenerated into a catch phrase, like "New and improved," to trap the unwary.”
— Manley (1975), p. 92 [4]
Sources
- U.S. Department of the Interior, Indian Arts and Crafts Board, with Joe Dan Lowry, Turquoise Museum, Albuquerque. Indian Arts and Crafts Act [turquoise consumer brochure]. Washington, DC: Indian Arts and Crafts Board, [2010]. GPO catalog gpo58769. Independence note: the Board states it "collaborated with Mr. Joe Dan Lowry, of the Turquoise Museum" on the turquoise information, so on turquoise it is not independent of Lowry (2010). Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 2010.
- Lund, Marsha Mayer. Indian Jewelry: Fact and Fantasy. Boulder, CO: Paladin Press, 1976. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 1976.
- Tryk, Sheila. Santa Fe Indian Market: Showcase of Native American Art. Photography by Mark Nohl; introduction by Allan Houser. Santa Fe, NM: Tierra Publications, in cooperation with SWAIA (Southwestern Association on Indian Affairs), 1993. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 1993.
- Manley, Ray. Ray Manley's Portraits & Turquoise of Southwest Indians. Text by Clara Lee Tanner and Joe Ben Wheat; photography by Naurice Koonce and Alan Manley. Tucson: Ray Manley Photography, 1975. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 1975.
From the T.Skies Journal