The Gallery · Old Town Scottsdale
The Artists Behind the Silver
In Native American jewelry, authenticity has a name — literally. The surest sign that a piece is what it claims to be is a maker who signs it, and a dealer who tells you who that maker is without being asked. These are some of the artists whose work fills our cases on Main Street, and why we put their names ahead of our own.
The name is the certificate
A genuine piece of Native American jewelry carries its maker with it: a hallmark stamped into the sterling, a name on the tag, and a dealer willing to repeat that name on the receipt. Mass-produced imports carry none of that — which is why the artist’s name, more than any appraisal or gemstone paper, is the working certificate of this trade. When a shop can tell you who made a piece and where the stone came from, everything else about that shop tends to be in order too.
Federal law stands behind the question. The Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 makes it illegal to sell or display anything that falsely suggests it was made by a Native American artist, with serious penalties for violators. The practical translation for a buyer is simple: ask “who made this, and what tribe are they enrolled in?” A legitimate dealer answers on the spot and puts it in writing. Our guide to buying authentic Native American jewelry covers hallmarks, the law, and the receipt language to insist on.
And a note on who we are, because honesty is the whole point of this page: Sunrise is a family-owned gallery — on Main Street since the 1990s, family owned and operated since 2006 — not a Native-owned business, and we would never suggest otherwise. The artistry in these cases belongs to the artists. Our job is curation and candor: buying authentic work, naming its maker, and standing behind both.
Three names to know
Effie Calavaza
Ask a collector to name one signature in Zuni silverwork and odds are a serpent winds through the answer. Effie Calavaza made the snake her own — coiled around rings, wound along cuffs, worked in sterling and set with turquoise, each piece carrying her hallmark. Her name is one collectors search for specifically, and her pieces rarely sit long when they reach our cases.
Calvin Begay
Calvin Begay’s inlay is recognizable across a room: stones cut and set flush into channels of sterling and gold, geometric patterns so precise they read like woven cloth. It’s contemporary Navajo design at its most exacting — and you’ll find that inlay tradition throughout our cases, from link bracelets to pendants and matched jewelry sets. Collectors hunt his hallmark through online marketplaces; we’d rather put it straight into your hand.
Jerry Cowboy
Jerry Cowboy’s silverwork has a standing place in our gallery, and his is a name our regulars ask after. His dedicated page is on its way; in the meantime his pieces surface throughout the collection — browse what’s in the cases now, or call and ask what of his came in this week.
Everything in the gallery is one of a kind, so artist inventory turns over constantly. Hunting a specific name? Call (480) 425-9944 and we’ll tell you what’s in the case today.
How to read a hallmark
Turn the piece over. On most authentic work you’ll find the artist’s name or initials stamped inside a ring band or on the back of a pendant or cuff, usually beside a sterling or “.925” mark. That little stamp is the artist claiming the work — treat it as the beginning of the story, not the end, and ask your dealer to tell you the rest.
One important nuance: unsigned does not mean inauthentic. Much of the finest early silverwork — the trading-post-era pieces collectors call Old Pawn — predates the widespread use of hallmarks, which is exactly where provenance and an honest dealer matter most. Our guide to what Old Pawn jewelry is tells that story properly.
Attribution runs past jewelry, too. Our hand-carved kachina dolls are carver-attributed for the same reason the silver is signed: in Native American art, the maker’s name is the meaning. And if you’re weighing a first purchase, our local guide to buying authentic turquoise in Scottsdale pulls all of this together — stones, hallmarks, laws and the questions to ask in any store, including ours.
Artists & attribution — common questions
Why does the artist’s name matter so much?
Because it carries everything else with it: the artist’s tribe and technique, the piece’s authenticity under federal law, and its value to future collectors. A named piece supports a working artist and holds its story; an anonymous import does neither.
Are all authentic pieces signed?
No. Hallmarking became common practice over time, and many genuine older pieces — especially trading-post-era Old Pawn — carry no stamp at all. For unsigned work, authenticity rests on construction, materials and provenance, which is why the dealer you choose matters as much as the piece.
Do you have pieces by these artists in stock right now?
Inventory changes week to week — every piece is one of a kind, and the best ones move quickly. Browse the gallery online, shop by category, or call and we’ll check the cases for you before you make the trip.
Can you help me find work by a particular artist?
Tell us what you’re looking for. We’re a small family gallery and we know what moves through our cases — and our bench also takes custom work if the piece you’re imagining doesn’t exist yet.
Meet the Work
The names are in the cases, stamped in sterling.
Come in, turn a cuff over, and read the hallmarks with us — we’ll tell you who made what you’re holding, and gladly put it in writing.
Sunrise Jewelry & Gallery — family owned & operated
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