A very nice heavy (16 ga) link concho belt. 39 inches long. Each concho measures 2.5 by 1.75 inches. The hallmark is “M” but unfortunately a couple dozen artists use that mark and we can only narrow it down to about 8. Beautiful work. $1875. (SANTA FE)
This Navajo concho belt dates to the 1930-1940s time period. the stones in the buckle suggest the #8 Mine or the Lone Mountain Mine. The conchos are 2.5 inches across and the buckle is 3.25 by 3 inches. $3000. (SANTA FE)
A sandcast belt consisting of 13 conchas and a buckle. It was made around 1970 though the style started in the 50s. It had a nice mid-century feel to it. Each concha is 1 7/8 by 1 inch. $1100. (SANTA FE) (And in case you’re wondering, at current silver prices, a silversmith would have to pay a little over $450 just for the metal to get started,
NAVAJO SAMPLE BELT
Circa 1970s. In that time period concha belts were not only popular but also varied greatly in patterns. Rather than keep several dozen belts on hand, shops would have a silversmith make up a concha that showed a dozen or more possible patterns for the customer to choose from.
Similarly, some silversmiths would make a belt showing the patterns they did in order to solicit an order from shops.
Each concha measures 1.5 by 2 inches. $1600 (TUCSON)
