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posted 12-07-2008 01:23 PM            

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Hi,

My real name is Jo, and I have long been a fan of silver jewelry. I collect Bill Ilfeld pieces as well as some of the Finnish designer's pieces, but mainly I just am fascinated by any jewelry made in silver by talented designers.

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posted 12-07-2008 04:02 PM            

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Hi Jo!

Welcome to the Forum! I know that one of our Moderators
Richard Kurtzman has been looking for info on Ilfeld. I have advised him about you & your collection.

Please show us some of your collection we'd love to see it.

Jersey

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posted 12-07-2008 06:56 PM            

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Hi Jersey,

Nice to meet you!

I do have a little info on Bill Ilfeld if anyone would like it. It's not much but maybe some part of it would be a springboard for someone else's search, I haven't been able to find out more on my own.

if anyone would like to see my (very) small collection of Bill Ilfeld jewelry it is here:

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posted 12-07-2008 08:23 PM            

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Welcome to the forum. Hope you didn't mind my little "joke" too much. That is a really nice collection. Maybe Scott will catch up with you to make it into a little slide show.

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posted 12-08-2008 03:29 AM            

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Or perhaps we can see a film?

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posted 12-08-2008 12:30 PM            

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Hi Jo and welcome! It is so nice when a new person starts off with the social graces. All of my friends call me Kimo and I hope you will too.

Like the others here I too would love to see some of your favorite silver things and learn about them.

Kimo

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posted 12-14-2008 04:52 PM            

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OK, I am going to try to post some photos on here......

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posted 12-14-2008 04:58 PM            

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yahoo! I did it. I am (I think) justifiably proud of my little collection since it took me 15 years to find these pieces.... I passed up 3 other pieces I saw for sale, for various reasons. so.....more photos:

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posted 12-14-2008 05:14 PM            

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sheeeeesh! and i only had to edit my post about a zillion times to get it right, LOL!

about 10 years ago i found an article on the internet....and i have not been able to find it since so i wish i had copied it.......about bill ilfeld. this is as i remember it: bill ilfeld was a member of the ilfeld family in new mexico. the ilfeld family had a large store(s) and were quite well known. bill designed jewelry in the 1940s-1950s and his designs were executed by dave tallman (an indian but i don't know what tribe) in silver and set with stones from bill ilfeld's personal collection. at some point, a large store in new york asked him to supply them with his jewelry to be resold. i don't know if those pieces were made by dave tallman or factory produced or what......and i don't know how to tell those pieces from the first pieces. if anyone else has more information i would be very interested in knowing about it. there is a collection of his jewelry in the Governor's Building in Albaquerque (sp?) and i have contacted them several times trying to get info or asking if they knew where i could find more information or see pictures of their collection........they replied to me only once and that was to recommend a book their gift shop carried. i got it from my local library and there was nothing about bill ilfeld in it.

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posted 12-14-2008 05:17 PM            

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i have been sick and not on the computer but did want to say that i am very happy to have found this site........i have always been in love with silver jewelry. gold and diamonds hold no allure for me at all, so it is great to find others who appreciate silver also.
and 'it's nice to meet you' to those who responded to my post.

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posted 12-15-2008 10:58 AM            

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I can't help with information about Bill Ilfeld, but I think the examples of his design work you show are very nice. He certainly had talent. I hope you wear this often.

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posted 12-15-2008 11:20 AM            

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Thanks so much for these images, glitz, and it's great to get to know you.

My favorite is the crab, though I'm also drawn to that earnest bird.

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posted 12-15-2008 04:59 PM            

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I like the bird the best - he is quite simple but he has some real character.

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posted 05-22-2011 03:45 PM            

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duplicate...

[This message has been edited by Gyva (edited 05-23-2011).]

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posted 05-22-2011 04:56 PM            

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Hello Jo I found another Bill Ilfeld piece and have started another thread here with pictures for you to see, hope you like it.

Mike.

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posted 05-22-2011 10:27 PM            

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There is a William C Ilfeld from Las Vegas, New Mexico who was born in 1905 and died in 1979. My search is not necessarily the last word on this subject, but I have to say that I find no other sign of a William (or Bill) C Ilfeld in the nineteenth or twentieth century census's and etc.

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