"Concha" or "Concho" belts are considered by many to be the finest pieces of American Indian jewelry.  Although concha belts are made and worn by many tribes, especially the Pueblo Indians of the Southwest, they are primarily associated with the Navajo.

Concha belts appeared on the Navajo reservation sometime around 1870.  "Concha" is the Spanish word for shell, and refers both to the round or oval disks of silver which are used to decorate the belt, and to the belt itself.  The individual concha and the concha belt are sometimes called "concho" or "concho belt".  The Navajo copied the design of the concha from Mexican buttons and bridle ornaments and added designs from the leather stamps of the Spanish and Moors to craft a unique piece of jewelry.

Early concha belts from 1870 to 1890 are known as first phase belts.  First phase belts featured round conchas with a slotted center through which a leather belt would be threaded.  The conchas were of simple design with a decorated outside edge and heavy gauge silver.  They were made by hand die stamping and were frequently hammered out of American or Mexican silver dollars.

In the 1890's, Navajo silversmiths learned soldering and attached copper loops to the back of the conchas to thread the leather belt. 

The addition of the copper loops eliminated the necessity of an open center.  An oval or diamond shaped pattern replaced the open center.  The large center rosette was embossed by the use of a male and female die.  The closed center style continues through the present.

The early 1900's saw new design elements in concha belts.  Buckles were added to the belts, as were vertical plaques known as "butterfly spacers".  Turquoise stones were set onto the conchas, spacers and buckles. 

 Repousse work (a decorative technique in which handwrought silver is hammered from the reverse side to create embossed or raised designs) also began to appear on belts.

After 1920, the sizes, shapes and designs of concha belts began to vary greatly as a response to demand from the tourist trade.  The great variety of concha belts continues through the present.  Equally appropriate for men and women, the belts reman a canvas for the silversmith's creativity and ability.  From a plain first phase design to an elaborate multi-stone treatment, concha belts provide an exquisite display of Navajo elegance and quality.

See Our Concha Belts

The Lodestar Group