GUEST: This belonged to my father-in-law, who was a medicine man. And that was about the turn of the century, so this could have been maybe 100 or more years old.
APPRAISER: Yeah.
GUEST: Rex, my husband, is very much involved in presenting Indian programs, and so he's enjoying them for about 20 years. Now he's wearing them special occasions.
APPRAISER: Yeah.
GUEST: Yes.
APPRAISER: So this is his dress clothes...
GUEST: Right, uh-huh.
APPRAISER: When he does formal things and important things...
GUEST: Right.
APPRAISER: ...he wears all this Navajo silver.
GUEST: Right, uh-huh.
APPRAISER: And, and does this basket, does he use that?
GUEST: Yes.
APPRAISER: In important things?
GUEST: He uses that for wedding ceremonies for those that want to be married in the Indian way.
APPRAISER: Does this have cornmeal in it when it's used?
GUEST: Cornmeal mush and... yeah. Bridegroom and the bride, they put their finger there one at a time and feed each other with it.
APPRAISER: That's great.
GUEST: Yeah.
APPRAISER: I didn't know that part of it.
GUEST (laughs)
APPRAISER: Well, I've seen a lot of these baskets, but they're never used. They're things people bought at tourist places or trading posts.
GUEST: Yes, yeah.
APPRAISER: And, you know, they're worth $50 or $75. This one, because of your family story, it's a very important thing.
GUEST: Yes, right.
APPRAISER: It's more important to your family than money.
GUEST: Yeah. Yeah.
APPRAISER: And the same with the jewelry. It's hard to put a dollar amount on something that's this important to your family.
GUEST: Yeah.
APPRAISER: The, the basket, I would say $250 to $350.
GUEST: Right.
APPRAISER: With your family story, I would never sell it.
GUEST: No.
APPRAISER: There's no price enough to have this. I really like the bracelet. It's traditional Navajo, it's set with turquoise. It's made out of hammered silver. With tools-- it's not cast, it's not made with machines. It's all handmade.
GUEST: Right, yeah.
APPRAISER: If I found a bracelet like this, I would say... $800 to $1,000.
GUEST: Oh, wow!
APPRAISER: Uh, the, it's, very beautiful bracelet.
GUEST: Yeah. We won't part with it, yeah.
APPRAISER: It's well done, and, again, you don't want to sell it.
GUEST: No, no.
APPRAISER: But that's... the belt, again, $1,500, $1,800. Possibly more.
GUEST: Yes.
APPRAISER: But the family history is so important to this.
GUEST: Yeah.
APPRAISER: And I really appreciate you coming in.
GUEST: Oh!
APPRAISER: It's, it's been great to talk with you, meet you...
GUEST (laughs)
APPRAISER: ...and see somebody using their traditional heritage in their life.
GUEST: Thank you very much.
