GUEST: It's done by Charles Loloma, who was a Hopi artist, Hopi jeweler. I was with my mother in the early to mid-'80s in Santa Fe when she bought it. There was a Charles Loloma show, and Mother had always wanted a piece of his jewelry, and so we went to the show and she bought this.
APPRAISER: And he was there?
GUEST: He was there, I met him. Sort of a little, short man.
APPRAISER: Yeah. He was born in '21, so he would have been in his late 60s.
GUEST: Probably, yeah, because I think he died in '91.
APPRAISER: '91, yeah. Charles Loloma, in my mind, is one of the most important American jewelers ever.
GUEST: Really? Wow.
APPRAISER: Not just American Indian jewelers but just…
GUEST: But American…
APPRAISER: …jewelers. I really should say "artist." And he did other art forms, too-- he didn't just do jewelry. And this is one of his masterpieces, without question. And we've had jewelry on here before. It's always important because it's his. Loloma was Hopi, as you know, and was born in one of the old pueblos in northern Arizona, and spent most of his life in northern Arizona. Because he was born in the '20s, he was raised in a very traditional environment. And he worked in different styles…
GUEST: Right.
APPRAISER: …and he used different techniques, but to create this took a tremendous amount of work. When you look at these stones, he was a lapidarist. He cut these stones. It has the blue lapis lazuli, it has skystone or turquoise, which would have been his traditional working stone, and then it's got highlights done with red Mediterranean coral, and very deep purple amethyst. The small ones are almost black, they're so dark. He cut each one of these pieces…
GUEST: Oh wow.
APPRAISER: …and fit them together on a flat surface, and then formed them and ground them to where the edges fit, and set them in 14-karat gold.
GUEST: I didn't realize there was that much work to it.
APPRAISER: It's a tremendous amount of work. I've had some of his more traditional pieces that were sand-cast…
GUEST: Mh-hmm.
APPRAISER: …or tufa-cast, they call it.
GUEST: Right.
APPRAISER: But they just had one stone set in it, and they were worth a tremendous amount. But this kind of work, this is what he's known for. You've probably seen some of them where he actually inlaid the inside of the bracelet…
GUEST: Yes, mh-hmm.
APPRAISER: …as well, and it dates to about the time of the exhibit, I don't think it's any earlier than that.
GUEST: Yeah.
APPRAISER: As it should be, this is stamped with Loloma's mark from that era, and you can see it on the inside here. It's kind of small, but it is stamped in there, very clear.
GUEST: Right.
APPRAISER: And he's finally been recognized as the great artist that he was. What do you think this is worth? I know you've got an idea.
GUEST: Well, a couple of years ago, I got online and saw some similar pieces that were $25,000 to $30,000.
APPRAISER: Yeah.
GUEST: I don't know. She paid $5,200 for it, and that was in the early to mid-'80s. So I don't know for sure what it's worth now, but I know his pieces are quite valuable.
APPRAISER: At that time, that was a significant amount of money. If this piece came up for sale at auction, I think it would easily bring $40,000 to $50,000...
GUEST: Oh, my.
APPRAISER: ...and perhaps as high as $55,000.
GUEST: Oh, my!
APPRAISER: It's just... fabulous. It's, it's the top of his work.
GUEST: I knew it was… a wonderful piece. I didn't realize it had appreciated that much. But it's gorgeous, I love it.
APPRAISER: And you do wear it, or...?
GUEST: I do wear it.
APPRAISER: Good.
GUEST: I do. People don't know what it is, though.
APPRAISER: Who cares?
GUEST: I know.
APPRAISER: That may be better.
GUEST: It's better-- it's better they don't know.
