Why Buy From T.Skies

T.Skies is a jewelry workshop and gallery in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in business since 2011. Our entire in-house team makes jewelry. We sell two kinds of work and label them apart. Pieces by the local Native American silversmiths we work with are sold under the artist’s name or hallmark, each with a Certificate of Authenticity. Our own designs carry the TSKIES hallmark and are labeled as ours. We follow the Indian Arts and Crafts Act artist by artist.

Who we are

A gallery at 8106 Menaul Blvd NE in Albuquerque and a shop at the Albuquerque Sunport. Our entire in-house team makes jewelry. We also work with many local Native American silversmiths. Our founder, Mateo James, has been in the jewelry business for twenty-two years. Founded in 2011; incorporated in 2014.

Two kinds of work, labeled apart

Native-made, by name. When a Native silversmith makes a piece, we sell it under their name or hallmark, and our makers have bios in our Silversmith Directory. Our in-house Native artists who sell under their own names hold a Certificate of Indian Blood (CIB).

T.Skies designs, by the team. Our signature line is made in our workshop by many hands: designers, silversmiths, stone setters, polishers. Each piece carries the TSKIES hallmark. Our signature line is never marketed as Native American–made because our pieces are not made by one artist — it’s a team effort, and we don’t believe in labeling our signature jewelry by our team’s ethnicity with a blanket term like Native American. Even though most of the team is Native American, we are of mixed tribes and races. If you are interested in a specific artist or tribal affiliation, we do market jewelry as Native American on an artist-by-artist basis.

When an artist and the workshop make a piece together, it carries both hallmarks and the listing says so. More on how we draw these lines: Native-Made vs Native-Inspired.

Certificates of authenticity

Every Native American piece, made by a named Native artist, comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.

How we follow the Act

The Indian Arts and Crafts Act makes it illegal to sell anything in a way that falsely suggests it was made by a Native artist or a particular tribe. Its test is labor: who made the piece. So the words “Native American” go on a piece only when a named Native artist made it. Style, stone and place are not enough. Our guide to what makes Native American jewelry authentic explains the law in full.

Our artists, and the directory

We carry work from many local Native American silversmiths with verified attribution, alongside the jewelry our in-house team makes. Separately, our Silversmith Directory documents silversmiths with their hallmarks and bios, so you can check a mark yourself, on our pieces or anyone’s.

Five percent of profits from our Signature Collections goes to the T.Skies Co-Op, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that trains and sponsors local artists. Its president is Diné silversmith Devin Edison.

Stones

Ask about any stone and we’ll tell you how it was treated, if at all.

Shipping and returns

We ship across the United States (shipping policy), and every order is covered by our 14-day 100% satisfaction guarantee.

How to choose a store for Native American jewelry

1. Is the artist named, or the hallmark shown? A store that can’t say who made a piece can’t say it’s Native-made. At T.Skies: Native-made pieces are sold under the artist’s name or hallmark, and our makers have bios in our Silversmith Directory.
2. Can they show you the mark? A hallmark ties a piece to a hand. Ask to see it. At T.Skies: our directory documents silversmiths with their hallmarks and bios, so you can check a mark against it yourself.
3. Does the store follow the Indian Arts and Crafts Act piece by piece? The Act makes it illegal to sell anything in a way that falsely suggests it is Native-made. A store that sells both kinds of work should label each piece. At T.Skies: we market jewelry as Native American artist by artist. Our own designs are labeled as T.Skies designs; here’s why.
4. Is there a certificate of authenticity? At T.Skies: every Native American piece, made by a named Native artist, comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.
5. Are you told how the stone was treated? At T.Skies: ask about any stone and we’ll tell you how it was treated, if at all.
6. Can you return it? At T.Skies: a published 14-day 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Questions

Is T.Skies Native-owned?

No. T.Skies was founded by Mateo James, who is of Spanish and Indigenous descent. Most of our jewelers are Native American, and we work with and credit named Native silversmiths, but the company is not Native-owned.

Is T.Skies jewelry Native American–made?

Some of it, by name. Pieces made by a Native silversmith are sold under that artist's name or hallmark. Our signature line is team-made and labeled as a T.Skies design; see Native-Made vs Native-Inspired.

How do I know who made my piece?

The listing names the maker. For a Native-made piece, the artist's bio and hallmark are in our Silversmith Directory. For our signature line, the TSKIES hallmark tells you it came from our workshop.

Is T.Skies a legitimate business?

Yes: a gallery in Albuquerque, a shop at the Albuquerque Sunport, and nearly 5,000 customer reviews on Judge.me, averaging 4.58 out of 5.

Do you give certificates of authenticity?

Yes. Every Native American piece, made by a named Native artist, comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.