First off, I do NOT endorse or support poaching, quite the opposite. But I found this necklace & ring yesterday, at a swap meet, and got great prices on both. 😎 I still have much to learn about the prominence of the talon in Native American spirituality, but I think they considered the eagle closest to God, even among the birds.
I also need to read up on the old Hopi & Navajo "misunderstanding". Just heard about it, lol. 🙄😉

Check the law on owning eagle feathers or parts.

Actually, I realized my blunder, right after posting here. Federal charges are not what I was after, lol, just the turquoise, mostly. 🙄😁 That ring is stamped Sterling, and has the maker's hallmark on the back. That's about as good as it gets, on the old stuff. 👍
It never even occurred to me, that the talon was illegal, if it is. I have no previous experience in this area. Should I remove it from the necklace, and dispose of it? 🤔

I don't know exactly what you should do. I just know there is legislation concerning eagle parts. Find a Native American ancestor, perhaps?

I found this note online.

https://www.syracuse.com/outdoors/20...gle_parts.html

Call the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or the National Eagle and Wildlife Property Repository in Commerce City, Colorado.

Your jewelry appears to be Native American in origin, but I can't tell the age.

I'd encourage to pass the claw back through the proper channels.

If it is of old manufacture, they'll likely just take it.

If it is of new manufacture, they'll likely want a better description of the source.

Sure it's not made of plastic? Maybe it's crabon fibre and will asplode on you.

Sure that's not a bear claw?

Hmmm... I think you're onto something.

Most of the claws (eagle, bear) have a lot more color, and perhaps different curvature.

That leaves one with two possibilities. Kodiac Brown Bear, and Pig or Boar tusk.

Many of the claws I'm seeing for sale are resin fakes.

I'm leaning towards a boar tusk.

I wouldn't do that. I would put it in the hands of a Native American directly. Keep our government which has never served Native Americans well out of the loop.

If it is actually pig, and not eagle, then it really won't make a difference.



Or FAKE?

Anyway, take a few moments to try to ID the claw/tusk, and go by that.

Golden and bald eagle talons are both black, slimmer than your thing, and are translucent toward the ends if held up to the sun. You've got a tusk. Which I approve of heartily, no need to kill eagles for your beliefs or jewelry.

Well, sir, I'm not "sure" of too much, it seems. 😋😉 I kinda like your possibility best, and would be perfectly content to call it a bear claw. Until someone proves otherwise, maybe? 🤔😉

There's plenty of fake turquoise out there, alright, but I feel fairly confident this is legit. I bought it in Kingman, and Kingman turquoise is the most common type, by far. 👍 The "bone" of contention is probably not plastic either, but who knows? 🤔 😉

I found a whole eagle once.

It was on the side of the road hopping around with 5-6 other eagles circling in wait and when approached from the damaged side could not see me. Hit by a car perhaps. The wound was old and that is the upper beak dangling by some sinew. No eye and the white on the head is bone showing through. Another bystander called a wildlife refuge that came out and took it away.

I can't imagine that one not being put down, although if it was healthy enough, perhaps the beak could be repaired. Then there are some birds deemed healthy enough to live in captivity, but not healthy enough to be returned to the wild.

About 25 years ago I caught a Golden Eagle.

I was horseback riding near Black Butte with my parents when we found the bird hopping around. My parents recognized that it was in trouble, and we all decided that I should catch it.

Not that I really knew much about catching apex birds of prey. But, I could catch livestock.

I was given a Pendleton shirt, and a pair of gloves. I cornered it threw the shirt over it and wrapped it up. Most amazing thing. The eagle just fell into a deep sleep without any struggle. We carried it down the mountain horseback, and the eagle was so still, we had to check that we weren't carrying a dead bird down the mountain. The horses didn't care either.

A couple of phone calls and we handed it off to a vet that routed it to the local Raptor Center.

As I understand it, the bird likely had been shot in the wing. It had been a couple of weeks, so the wing was healing, but not straight enough to ever fly. So, the raptor center repaired the bones, and I lost track of it afterwards. Perhaps I should try to follow up someday.

The bird was reasonably healthy, and it was believed that it had a mate that was helping it eat.