Tommy Lowe — Navajo Silversmith Hallmark
Tommy Lowe's hallmark as photographed on an authenticated piece. © Turquoise Skies Inc.
Navajo · documented in the T.Skies hallmark library
Tommy Lowe — formally recorded as Joe Tom Lowe — is a Navajo silversmith born in 1959 who has been active since 1995. His work centers on petit point and cluster work, two labor-intensive stone-setting traditions that require precise cutting and arrangement of stones to produce symmetrical, densely decorated surfaces.
The Work
Petit point is a setting technique in which very small, individually cut stones — typically turquoise, coral, or jet — are shaped into elongated oval or teardrop forms and set in rows or radiating patterns. The style demands considerable lapidary skill and is associated with Zuni and Navajo jewelers working in the fine-detail tradition. Cluster work arranges multiple cut stones in concentric or floral groupings, creating a mosaic-like density on bracelets, rings, or pendants. Both styles emphasize stone over silver and reward close examination.
Context
Lowe's active start date of 1995 places him in the post-Indian Arts and Crafts Act era (1990), when hallmarking and provenance documentation became more formalized. His entry appears in Hougart between Lucy Yepa Lowden and Mary Helen Lowsayatee, alphabetically grouped by surname.
The mark
Lowe uses three marks: T. LOWE; JOE T. LOWE; TOMMY LOWE. The three-mark practice suggests Lowe uses different stamps for different contexts — "T. LOWE" as an abbreviated personal mark, "JOE T. LOWE" as a formal registered identifier, and "TOMMY LOWE" as a trade name. The legal given name "Joe Tom" is preserved in the longer mark, while "Tommy" is the working name that appears in buyer-facing contexts. Multiple marks across one smith are common in Navajo practice and do not indicate separate workshops.
What is known
Hougart provides: Joe Tom Lowe (1959-; Navajo), active since 1995, petit point, cluster work, three marks (T. LOWE; JOE T. LOWE; TOMMY LOWE). No award history or additional biographical detail is recorded.
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References
- Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks, 5th ed. (2022), p. 200. "Joe Tom Lowe (1959-; Navajo). Active since 1995. Petit point; cluster work. Marks: T. LOWE; JOE T. LOWE; TOMMY LOWE"