North American Auction Company
Live Auction

Threads of the West: Native Beadwork, Navajo Textiles, Navajo Jewelry & Western Art

Sat, Jan 24, 2026 11:00AM EST
  2026-01-24 11:00:00 2026-01-24 11:00:00 America/New_York North American Auction Company North American Auction Company : Threads of the West: Native Beadwork, Navajo Textiles, Navajo Jewelry & Western Art https://live.naabid.com/auctions/north-american-auction/threads-of-the-west-native-beadwork-navajo-textiles-navajo-jewelry-western-art-22140
Join North American Auction Company on January 24th for Threads of the West: Native Beadwork, Navajo Textiles, Navajo Jewelry & Western Art Auction. This is a wonderful collection of Western History, Native American Beadwork and Weapons along with fine Navajo Jewelry, Americana and more. Visit Live.Naabid.com for more details or call 800-686-4216.
North American Auction Company tucker@naabid.com
Lot 194

Zuni Sterling & Multi-Stone Inlay Ring, Ortega

Estimate: $750 - $1,500
Starting Bid
$250

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$50 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$25,000 $2,500
$100,000 $5,000
Included in this lot is a Vintage Zuni Sterling Silver Multi-Stone Inlay Ring by Gilbert Ortega, circa 1960s-1980s. The ring features a wonderfully and professionally crafted sterling silver and multi-stone channel inlay construction that shows an inlay center arrangement that includes turquoise, lapis lazuli, sugilite and jet. Channel inlay is a distinctive jewelry technique closely associated with Native American people of the Southwest, particularly jewelers of Zuni Pueblo. When creating channel inlay jewelry, artists set precisely cut gemstones into pre-formed silver channels. The technique allows artists to use colorful combinations of gemstones in complex and creative patterns. Channel inlay requires masterful silversmithing and lapidary skills and is utilized by Native American jewelers to create magnificent jewelry pieces recognized for their craftsmanship and beauty as art. Gilbert Ortega was a renowned American-Indian art dealer originally from Navajo County, Arizona, who grew up working in his father's reservation trading post on Route 66 in Lupton. In the 1930s, Arizona's trading posts were a peak period for this institution, acting as vital economic and cultural hubs on reservations, especially for the Navajo Nation. These posts functioned as general stores, exchanging goods like flour and coffee for wool, livestock, and increasingly, Native American art like rugs and jewelry. The inside shank features a hallmark attributed to Gilbert Ortega Enterprises, "SO". The ring is in preserved condition, minor repair noted between head and inlay otherwise ring in good overall condition with patina consistent with age. Measures size 10, .75" x .875" x 1", collective weight is 18.4 grams.

All items will ship at our North American Auction Company in-house shipping department. Please allow up to 14-21 days after a complete invoice payment is made to package and ship your purchase. After you are notified of your winning bids from our company and your item invoice is paid in full our new shipping department will contact you. Make sure when signing up with our company that your preferred shipping information is up to date as this information will be used to estimate shipping cost. Once the items have been packaged our team will contact you for shipping payment. Shipping invoices and payment will be completely separately than the items invoice. Please notify the shipping department with any alternate request or instructions at mark@naabid.com or 800-686-4216 ext. 3. For a shipping quote please contact the same information above. PLEASE NOTE a shipping quote price can fluctuate in price. Auction company is not responsible for actual shipping cost being higher than quoted shipping cost. Thank you for trusting North American Auction Co. with your bids and shipping. As our shipping department is brand new please understand that delays can be expected.