Dealers frequently misattribute Navajo jewelry stamped with the letter "K" to Hopi Artist Michael Kabotie due to an inaccuracy in the Hallmarks of the Southwest Book. The book is produced by Barton Wright in conjunction with the Indian Arts and Crafts Association.

Michael Kabotie is a Hopi artist, not Navajo, and his jewelry is characterized by elaborate designs in the distinct Hopi overlay style. His work is stamped with his full Hopi name signature - "Lomawywesa". There are some legitimate Michael Kabotie pieces in circulation stamped with a "K". They are around 40 years old and very rare. They are Hopi overly style jewelry with no stones.

In the mid sixties as a young adult, Michael experimented with jeweling and used his father's stamp - "FK" for Fred Kabotie - to stamp his work. He angled the stamp so that only the "K" would show. He was dabbling in the art form at the time and was not too serious about jeweling yet. In the 70s, Margaret Wright documented his use of the letter "K" in her book about Hopi hallmarks. Through the 60s and 70s, Michael established his reputation as a painter, and when he started making jewelry professionally in the late 70s he used his "Lomawywesa" signature as his hallmark.

There is contemporary Navajo jewelry in circulation by an artist that stamps their work with a "K". If you know who the artist is, please contact us and we will acknowledge them here.

Information provided by Michael Kabotie, written by Paul Kabotie.