Emmerson Bill — Navajo Silversmith Hallmark
Emmerson Bill's hallmark as photographed on an authenticated piece. © Turquoise Skies Inc.
Navajo · documented in the T.Skies hallmark library
Emmerson Bill is a Navajo silversmith whose work T.Skies knows firsthand — his hallmark is documented in our gallery's own photographed library. He is the husband of Nora Bill and the father of silversmiths Carrie Bill and Elvira Bill, making the Bills a working silversmithing family across two generations. [Family per T.Skies gallery records; Elvira's lineage independently corroborated by Hougart, which records Elvira Bill as the daughter of Emerson Bill and Nora Tahe-Bill.]
The mark
Hougart's reference documents a closely related entry under the spelling "Emerson Billy" — techniques: stone sets, channel inlay, cobblestone, textured surfaces, stamp work; marks: "E. B.; Emerson Billy (script); bird." [Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks, 5th ed. (2022).] Whether "Emerson Billy" is the same man under a variant spelling or a distinct smith, the reference literature and our gallery records differ on the surname's form — we present our firsthand spelling and note the variant honestly. The mark photographed in the T.Skies library is shown above.
What is known
Stone sets, channel inlay, and stamp work run through the family's documented work. Daughter Elvira Bill (active since the 2010s, retro style, deep stamp work) has her own entry in this directory.
Know more about Emmerson? Let us know.
References
- T.Skies gallery records (firsthand family knowledge, 2026).
- Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks, 5th ed. (2022) — "Emerson Billy" entry and Elvira Bill family cross-reference.