Jimmie Patterson — Navajo Silversmith Hallmark

Biography by Mateo James

Hallmark of Jimmie Patterson (Navajo) — photographed by T.Skies

Jimmie Patterson's hallmark as photographed on an authenticated piece. © Turquoise Skies Inc.

Navajo · documented in the T.Skies hallmark library

Jimmie Patterson is a Navajo silversmith active since the 1970s. His specialization is chip inlay — a technique in which crushed stone or shell is set into recessed channels in silver, producing a mosaic-like surface.

The mark

"Jimmie Patterson (Navajo). Active since 1970s. Chip inlay. Mark: P" — Hougart 5e, p. ~240.

What is known

No birth year, style elaboration, award history, or family cross-references are given in the Hougart entry. The Patterson surname is not a large cluster in Hougart — Jimmie Patterson is the only Patterson-surname silversmith indexed. The chip-inlay specialization places him within the broader Southwest inlay tradition common among Navajo smiths working during the 1970s–1990s.

Know more about Jimmie? Let us know.

References

  • Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks, 5th ed. (2022), p. ~240.