Native American jewelry is a highly sought after collector's item for quite a few people, but this has also led to quite a few individuals and companies attempting to pass off counterfeit jewelry. Nothing is worse than paying a premium for a piece of authentic Native American jewelry only to find out that the jewelry was fake, which pretty much eliminates the value of that piece. Listed below are two tips that can help you avoid buying counterfeit Native American Jewelry.
Pay Attention To Phrasing
The easiest way to spot counterfeit Native American jewelry is to pay very close attention to how the jewelry is marketed. For example, try to avoid purchasing any piece that has been marketed with the word "style," such as Native American-style or Indian-style. The reason for this is that there are very strict requirements in the United States when it comes to being able to label or market a piece as Native American jewelry.
In order for a piece of jewelry to be sold as or described as Native American, it must have been crafted by a member of a recognized Native American tribe. Anyone selling or marketing knockoffs or imitation pieces can be heavily fined if they try to describe it as Native American.
Look For Duplicate Items
Another simple way to spot counterfeits when attempting to buy Native American jewelry is to take the time to look for duplicate items. If you are going into a jewelry store, check for identical items in the various display cases. If you are shopping online from a major retailer or auction site, take a minute to see if the seller is offering multiple auctions or has large numbers of the same item for sale.
This is very important as authentic Native American jewelry is not going to be mass-produced. Instead, authentic Native American jewelry is often handmade, which means that no two pieces are going to be exactly the same.
In addition, many of the artists and artisans that create Native American jewelry do not actually want to make multiple items that are exactly the same. The pieces created by these artists usually have common features across their various pieces, but that's about it. As a result, if a seller is offering multiple identical items for sale, then it is usually because the items are counterfeit.
Contact your local jewelry store today in order to discuss what pieces of Native American jewelry they are offering. Paying attention to phrasing and looking for duplicate items are both easy ways to spot counterfeit items when buying Native American jewelry.
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