A concho belt is the signature statement piece of Southwest silverwork: a row of hand-stamped sterling silver discs — conchos — mounted on leather or linked in silver, usually finished with a matching buckle. The form goes back to Navajo silversmiths in the 1800s, who adapted older Plains and Spanish silver into something unmistakably their own. A full belt is a serious undertaking; a single one can carry a dozen or more individually stamped conchos, which is why a good belt is bought once and worn for decades.
This collection holds both. Full concho belts come first — the pieces built with turquoise, coral, denim lapis and multi-stone inlay, at the scale you would wear with a jacket or over a dress. Below them sit smaller concho pieces that use the same stamped-disc motif at a price that suits everyday wear: rings, cuff bracelets, pendants and earrings. Everything here is handmade with natural stones. Because each is one of a kind, the belt you see is the belt you get, and when one sells we cannot reorder it.
If you are buying a first concho belt, start with the buckle and the stampwork. Look at how crisp and even the stamped patterns are, whether the conchos match each other in size and spacing, and how the leather is finished at the edges. If you can get to us, the honest advice is to try one on: weight and drop are hard to judge from a photograph, and we are glad to talk through sizing.
Silver Star Jewelry has been family owned in Old Town Scottsdale since 1979, at 7257 East First Ave. Open every day — Sunday through Thursday 10:30 to 6:00, Friday and Saturday 10:30 to 7:00. Call (480) 949-1101 with a question about any piece. Free shipping within the US on orders over $99, and 14-day returns and exchanges.
Related: Belt Buckles · Bolo Ties · Turquoise Jewelry · Men’s Collection · The Turquoise Guide