Native American Silver Hallmarks Guide by Tribe

The hallmark is the small stamp impressed into the silver of an authentic Native American piece — usually on the underside, inside the cuff, or behind the bezel. It is the artist’s signature in metal. A genuine hallmark is the chain of custody that ties a piece back to its maker; a forged or absent hallmark is a red flag.

This guide covers the conventions used by the major Southwest tribes whose work LomaSiiva carries: Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, Santo Domingo (Kewa), and Pueblo silversmiths.

What a real hallmark looks like

Authentic hallmarks share these characteristics:

• Stamped, not printed or engraved. A hallmark is hammered into hot or cold silver with a steel die. The strike has tactile depth.
• Slightly uneven. Hand-stamped marks vary across pieces by the same artist. Machine-perfect repetition is suspicious.
• Accompanied by a sterling stamp. A small “.925” or “Sterling” mark indicates the silver content.
• Visible without removing the stone or back. Most hallmarks are on the inside surface of cuffs, the back of pendants, or the inside band of rings.

Navajo hallmark conventions

Navajo silversmiths typically use one of three hallmark styles:

• Initials only. The artist’s first and last initials in a small block stamp. Common among silversmiths who learned the trade in the mid-20th century.
• Pictographic mark. A symbolic image — a bear paw, an arrow, a feather, a corn stalk — that the artist registered as their personal mark.
• Full signature. The artist’s full name spelled out, used by a smaller number of contemporary silversmiths.

Navajo pieces almost always carry the “.925” sterling stamp adjacent to the hallmark. Pieces missing it are likely lower-grade silver or fauxthentic.

Hopi hallmark conventions

Hopi silversmithing emerged largely from the Hopi Silvercraft Cooperative Guild, founded in 1949. The Guild itself stamps an “HG” or stylized Hopi symbol on Guild-produced pieces. Individual Hopi silversmiths use their own hallmarks — typically a pictographic clan symbol or initials.

Hopi overlay pieces (the signature dark-recess style) often have the hallmark on the back of the overlay panel rather than inside the cuff or behind the bezel.

Zuni hallmark conventions

Zuni inlay specialists frequently sign with a registered pictographic mark related to their family or clan affiliation. Older Zuni pieces (1940s–1970s) sometimes carry only the “Zuni” word stamp without an individual artist mark, particularly pieces produced cooperatively.

Contemporary Zuni inlay artists almost always sign with their initials or full name, often paired with the sterling stamp on the inside band or back of the piece.

Santo Domingo (Kewa) hallmark conventions

Heishi work and traditional shell or stone inlay from Santo Domingo (Kewa Pueblo) artists historically went unsigned, particularly the depression-era thunderbird necklaces and shell mosaic work. Contemporary Kewa silversmiths working in metal sign with initials or pictographic marks similar to Navajo conventions.

Heishi necklaces are best authenticated by the consistency and shape of the beads, the weight, and the stringing rather than a hallmark.

Pueblo (Acoma, Laguna, Cochiti, Jemez) hallmark conventions

Pueblo silversmithing varies by village. Acoma and Laguna artists often sign with initials and the village name. Cochiti and Jemez silversmiths frequently use pictographic clan marks. The presence of a village identifier in the hallmark is a strong signal of contemporary Pueblo work; older pieces may carry only initials or be unsigned.

Hallmark forgery and how to spot it

Forged hallmarks are common on imported imitations. Tells:

• Hallmark is too clean. A real artist hallmark, made with a hand-held die struck many times, has slight inconsistency. A laser-engraved or cast hallmark is artificially perfect.
• Hallmark is on a separately-soldered tag. Reputable artists stamp directly into the body of the piece. A small soldered-on tag with the hallmark is a fake-tag warning.
• Hallmark belongs to a deceased artist on a piece that looks new. Forgers reuse known hallmarks. If a piece styled in current taste carries a hallmark of an artist who passed away decades ago, it is forged.
• No sterling stamp. A real hallmark almost always has a “.925” or “Sterling” stamp adjacent. Missing stamp = silver-plated or fake.

What LomaSiiva does

Every piece in our gallery has its hallmark documented and matched to the artist’s LomaSiiva ID. The hallmark, the artist’s tribal enrollment, and the piece’s provenance are all linked in our verification archive. The Certificate of Authenticity that ships with each piece references the hallmark and provides a written confirmation of the artist and tribe.

Related: How to spot fake Native American jewelry · Tribal enrollment verification

Updated 2026. LomaSiiva — The Only Authentic.