Vintage Navajo David Reeves Turquoise Cluster Sterling Silver Concho Belt Unisex, Native American
$3,996.00 $4,995.00
This vintage concho belt is one of the most impressive I've seen from the 1980s era, well-made and while big and eye-catching, also tasteful and enduring in style. The piece was made by Navajo silversmith David Reeves, born in 1949 and deceased, date unknown. Reeves was the older brother of Gary (also deceased) and Daniel "Sunshine" Reeves, both of whom he taught the art of silversmithing, along with half brothers Andy and Darrell Cadman. David and Gary had a studio in my hometown of Albuquerque in the 1980s and 90s, and Harry Morgan used to stop by a lot. Master silversmith Steven Aviso remembers hanging out at the studio and learning there. David specialized in belt buckles and concho belts, and of course, the 1980s and 1990s was a timeframe when "the-bigger-the-better" sensibilities applied to Native American jewelry fashion. Yet, David's methods and that of all of the Reeves and Cadmans was about reviving and sustaining traditional methods of jewelry making. Hence, David made his own stamps, which were passed onto his brothers after his death. From a gallery that represents this family, "David had an affinity for complex engraved and hand stamped geometric designs. He was a part of recreating and popularizing the old Navajo designs of the early 20th century." And so, what we have with this concho belt is a nod to tradition combined with the demand for Santa Fe style pieces that could be worn out to a night at the Santa Fe Opera as much as to a rodeo. Each of the seven large oval-shaped conchos and the eight butterfly spacers is backed with leather, as this piece was made to last through generations. Between the natural oxidation in the sterling silver, which creates contrast and depth against the blue turquoise, it is hard to see in photos just how beautiful the turquoise, some stones with fine spiderweb veining, and how stunning the piece is overall. The belt came from the estate of a woman who bought and wore it in the late 1980s but has had it stored for almost 40 years. I did get some stones replaced when the belt came to me as a consignment, but you can't tell which stones as the work was done by a professional silversmith. David Reeves' belts and buckles come on the market infrequently, and when they do, a buckle alone can sell for close to $800. With a buckle and 15 other pieces, each hand stamped and bejeweled with high-grade turquoise, this piece is truly a once-in-a-lifetime acquisition. A similar style from the same artist is available through the exclusive Double D Ranch for $6,500.
The leather belt is about 3/4" wide, and about 44-3/4" long from end to end, and that is just the leather strap that forms the belt itself. The buckle measures 3" wide by about 2-1/2" tall. Oval shaped conchos measure about 2-3/4" wide by about 2-1/4" tall. Spacers are about 1-1/4" wide by 2" tall. When sizing a belt, it's important to decide where you'll wear it--on hips or waist. Many people wear their concho belts at the hips, so use that as your goal. The holes in the leather belt are set for Siz 35-36, but more can be punched up to about 40" while still having a bit of "tail" overhang. The belt overall weighs a substantial 520g. In very good vintage condition; I had all stones checked when the missing stones were replaced. The leather has a beautiful broken-in look and feel.
Museum quality work of art.
*************
Note that due to lighting plus monitor settings for brightness, contrast and other factors, there may be differences in the colors and tones of photos versus that of the actual item. Please message with questions and I will respond as soon as possible.
*************
Native Necklaces and Pendants: http://bit.ly/2ESs4Tf
Native American Earrings: http://bit.ly/2FyZ8wy
Native American Rings: http://bit.ly/2HQXwyY
Native Bracelets, Watches, Cufflinks: https://bit.ly/2NpeypL
Native Belts, Bolos, Brooches: http://bit.ly/2oz2XKp
All items: https://romaarellano.com
Shipping from United States
Processing time
1-3 business days
Estimated shipping times
- North America : 4 - 12 weeks
- Europe : 6 - 16 weeks
- Australia, New Zealand and Oceania : 6 - 16 weeks
- Asia Pacific : 6 - 16 weeks
- Latin America and the Caribbean : 6 - 16 weeks
I'll do my best to meet these shipping estimates, but can't guarantee them. Actual delivery time will depend on the shipping method you choose.
Customs and import taxes
Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply. I'm not responsible for delays due to customs.
Payment Options
Returns & Exchanges
I gladly accept returns and cancellations
Just contact me within: 14 days of delivery
Ship items back to me within: 30 days of delivery
Conditions of return
Buyers are responsible for return shipping costs. If the item is not returned in its original condition, the buyer is responsible for any loss in value.
Privacy policy
This Privacy Policy describes how and when your data are collected and used when you purchase an item from this shop or romaarellano.com, also administered by etsy.com. This Privacy Policy does not apply to the practices of third parties, including Etsy or any third party services you access through Etsy. You can reference the Etsy Privacy Policy to learn more about its privacy practices.
Etsy or PayPal, depending on which you use, administers payments, and therefore protects your financial per their respective privacy policies. This shop does not have access to credit card or bank details.
Information Collected by this Shop
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
To fulfill your order, you provide information through Etsy, such as name, email address, postal address, payment information, and details of the product ordered. You may also choose to provide additional personal information regarding the order if you contact the shop directly.
This shop collects, uses, and shares your information for specific tasks such as:
• providing services to fulfill your order, to settle disputes should any occur, and provide customer support;
• when you have provided consent, which you may revoke at any time, by signing up for a mailing list or request detail of future product availability;
• to comply with a legal obligation or court order or in connection with a legal claim, such as retaining information about your purchases if required by tax law; and
• as necessary for the purpose of legitimate interests such as Compliance with the Etsy Seller Policy and Terms of Use.
Information about this shop's customers is necessary to our business. Personal information is used for specific and limited reasons and circumstances, as follows:
• Information is shared with Etsy as necessary to provide services and comply with obligations under both the Etsy Seller Policy and Etsy Terms of Use.
• If we sell or merge this business, we may disclose your information as part of that transaction, only to the extent permitted by law.
• We may collect, use, retain, and share your information if we have a good faith belief that it is reasonably necessary to: (a) respond to legal process or to government requests; (b) enforce my agreements, terms and policies; (c) prevent, investigate, and address fraud and other illegal activity, security, or technical issues; or (d) protect the rights, property, and safety of our customers, or others.
Data Retention
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
We retain customer personal information only for as long as necessary to provide you with services, as described in this Privacy Policy and to comply with any legal and regulatory obligations, to resolve disputes should any arise, and to enforce agreements. For tax purposes, we generally keep customer data for seven years.
If you have any questions regarding data privacy, please contact the shop owner via the built-in messaging system. Thank you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Worldwide Shipping, Processing & Insurance
• We ship to many parts of the world. On any listing, enter your zip or postal code into the Shipping box to find out if your country is included and how much it will cost. If you find we do not ship to your country, contact us to find out if we might be able to.
• We ship within 1-3 days of order via USPS, Fed Ex, and UPS. and any order of $100 or more will be insured via third party insurance.
• Any package valued at $250 or more will require Signature upon delivery. Third Party insurer requires Signature in certain cases, so please do not ask that we ship without Signature as this creates a risk we are not willing to take.
Returns & Refunds
• We accept returns. Per our policies, contact us within 14 days of delivery. Return shipping with insurance and tracking is at your expense. We process refunds once the item is returned in the same condition received.
• If your item arrives damaged, photograph it with packaging so we may make a claim.
• Returning an item is no fun; contact us before buying to ask questions or request additional photos. I'd rather talk you out of something vs your being disappointed with a purchase!
• Our top priority is your positive experience with this shop, and our greatest hope is that you LOVE the item purchased!
Do you do layaways?
We can work with you on a payment plan with immediate down payment up to two months for full payment.
Note that layaways past due over 30 days go into default. Once in default the transaction is cancelled and layaway payments are not returnable due to having removed items from the market and losing potential sales.
Convo to talk about a layaway plan that works for your budget.
Do you accept offers?
Please, no offers. We receive so much correspondence daily that we are unable to respond to offer requests.
We have loyal customers who return again and again and use the repeat customer discount coupon for 10% off. We set fair prices from the get-go. If something is expensive, you know it's good.
We do run sales occasionally, so watch for those. And we value community. Whether you are a returning customer, Facebook friend, or Instagram follower--our thanks to you is 10% off for supporting this shop. Please go to the About section of the main shop page and click on the social media links. Follow us on one of those platforms, convo to say you've done so and we'll send you the coupon code for 10% off.
Will you reserve or hold items?
We do NOT do reserves or holds. Like any business, we use sales proceeds to keep the shop running. We truly can't afford to take items off the market. But even if you have some funds with which to make a down payment, we can do layaway with you. Just convo to say you'd like to do a layaway, and we'll work with you on that route instead of a Hold or Reserve.
Can you tell me SOLD prices?
We get correspondance almost daily asking how much certain items are worth or what the price was of items that have sold, and we can no longer respond to these messages.