GUEST: My husband was in Santa Fe, and he purchased this from a gallery there, and he believed it to be by Charles Loloma.
APPRAISER: Do you recall what he paid for it at that time?
GUEST: He seems to recall that it was about $700.
APPRAISER: $700, in, roughly, 1980.
GUEST: Or early '90s, he thinks.
APPRAISER: Early '90s.
GUEST: Yeah.
APPRAISER: Okay. It is indeed made by Charles Loloma, and he happens to be the pre-eminent jeweler of all Native American art jewelers. He's an extraordinarily important artist. This is a belt buckle. It has a little loop at the back to catch into a leather belt. The loop that would hold the leather belt is missing. Very easy to replicate what Charles typically used. Inexpensive restoration, not important at all. This is his very distinct Charles Loloma signature. He's known for innovative treatment of jewelry, utilizing natural ingredients. This has the whole panoply of ingredients.
GUEST: Oh, great.
APPRAISER: Design, composition, and color. These are the three standards of his work. Now, Charles Loloma was born in 1921, he passed away in 1991. In terms of the dating, maybe the '60s or the '70s.
GUEST: Oh.
APPRAISER: It's not in mint condition.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: It's highly patinated with human contact.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: I'm sure that that would please Charles Loloma.
GUEST: (chuckles)
APPRAISER: I think on a retail basis, this would sell for $10,000.
GUEST: Wow.
APPRAISER: I believe, if, if you wanted to go and insure this, maybe $12,500.
GUEST: Great.
