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From 1969
STERLING
Small bell is surrounded by short straight rays; STERLING appears separately underneath. No signpost.
stamped · sterling silver · Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Silver
Bell Trading Post marks
Bell Trading Post marks include stamped “STERLING” on sterling silver dated 1969 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States.
- Country
- United States
- City / region
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Products
- sterling silver jewellery, nickel-silver jewellery, copper jewellery, military insignia, giftware
- Marks
- 3
Founding variously dated 1932 or 1935; public history uses early 1930s. Sunbell Corporation formed 1969. Activity continued through later decades, but no verified final closure year assigned.
What to look for
- Distinguish the signpost from the bell surrounded by rays. The latter belongs to the Sunbell identity.
- Read the metal wording in full. STERLING, NICKEL SILVER and COPPER describe different materials; nickel silver is a base-metal alloy without silver.
- The maker’s emblem is separate from a thunderbird, arrow or other decorative stamp on the jewellery. The illustrated copper cuff carries its COPPER BY BELL plaque between larger decorative motifs.
- A BELL signature identifies the company. Read each silversmith’s signature to identify the maker.
Marks & lettering
3 marks
Undated
COPPER / BY BELL
COPPER arches above a signpost, with BY BELL below on a circular applied plaque.
stamped · copper · Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Undated
NICKEL SILVER / BELL
NICKEL SILVER curves around a central bell, with BELL underneath on a round plaque.
stamped · nickel silver; base-metal alloy without silver · Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
About Bell Trading Post
Bell Trading Post was a jewellery business established in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the early 1930s by Jack and Mildred Michelson. The Bell name came from Mildred’s maiden name. The firm supplied Southwestern-style jewellery to tourist outlets, developing a range in sterling silver, nickel silver and copper. Early production included handmade work, while later output increasingly used workshop and manufacturing methods suited to a large souvenir trade.
During the Second World War the business turned to military insignia and identification bracelets. It returned to tourist jewellery after the war, producing rings, bracelets, earrings, pins and other accessories. Silversmiths worked within the operation, but Bell’s stamped emblem identified the business rather than one individual craftsperson. The company competed with Maisel’s in Albuquerque; the two remained separate businesses during Bell’s early decades.
After Jack Michelson’s death in 1957, his children continued the enterprise. Sunbell Corporation was formed in 1969, bringing jewellery together with giftware, copper goods and moccasin lines. The Bell jewellery business continued with a bell-and-rays emblem among its marks. Sunbell’s later trademark filings retained the BELL JEWELRY name. Different metal wordings and emblem layouts therefore belong to the company’s varied product lines and successive periods.
Also known as: Bell · Bell Jewelry · Sun Bell · Sunbell Corporation · Bell Trading Post; later Sunbell Corporation
Look-alikes & how to tell them apart
Maisel’s Indian Trading Post
Maisel’s was a competing Albuquerque business with its own marks. Bell’s early history should not be collapsed into a supposed 1935 merger with Maisel’s.
Individual Southwestern silversmiths
Similar turquoise settings and stamped motifs appear on independent makers’ work. The Bell or Sunbell company emblem distinguishes these commercial lines from a named artist’s signature.