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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;komokwa, post: 542122, member: 301&quot;]earlier.....</p><p>here&#039;s a general opinion....</p><p><br /></p><p>Although most Navajos wore some jewelry on a daily basis, they put their entire fortune on display during community events.&nbsp; Considering this dual function, Native-owned jewelry tended to be very heavy and showy, incorporating as much silver as was practical and as its owner could afford.</p><p><br /></p><p>By the turn of the last century, it became common practice for the Navajo to place some of their jewelry in pawn at the local trading post when it was not being used. Owners could borrow for food and supplies against pawned jewelry, and they knew it would be secure in the trader’s safe until the next public occasion when they would redeem it and proudly wear it again.</p><p><br /></p><p>Occasionally an owner would be unable to redeem an item and, after a certain period of time, it would be considered “dead pawn.” The trader could then sell it at will. Some traders also bought Indian jewelry specifically to sell to their Anglo customers.&nbsp; In this way, some of the early, high-quality jewelry gradually made its way to non-Indian owners. Present-day collectors generically identify these older, heavier items as “old pawn.”[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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