This vintage Southwestern-style pendant appears to be a Native American (likely Navajo or Hopi) handcrafted sterling silver bear fetish or storyteller pendant featuring an empty bezel cup for a stone inlay and a traditional heartline design.

• Design Features: Shaped like a profile of a bear with a textured, contrasting patina and an integrated round bezel setting (missing its original turquoise or coral cabochon) along with etched feather or arrow-like line motifs. 

• Style & Origin: Common in Southwestern Native American jewelry, the bear symbol represents strength and healing, while the line from the mouth to the heart area is known as a heartline

• Lester Ortiz is a recognized Navajo silversmith known for creating high-quality, traditional Southwestern jewelry. Confirming this hallmark solidifies that your pendant is an authentic piece of Native American wearable art.

  Key Details About the Artist and Piece:

  The Hallmark: His pieces are commonly stamped "Lester Ortiz" alongside a "Sterling" mark.

  Design Specialization: While he frequently works with heavy sandcast silver, shadowbox designs, and intricate gemstone layouts (such as malachite, turquoise, and coral), your piece highlights his classic Navajo stampwork style. 

  Missing Stone: The empty round bezel on your pendant originally held a cabochon stone—most likely turquoise or Mediterranean red coral, which are standard pairings for his work

• In its current condition without the stone, this Lester Ortiz sterling silver bear pendant has an estimated vintage market value of $45 to $75.

  While intact vintage Navajo sterling bear pendants by listed artists generally command between $125 and $220, the missing gemstone creates a significant deduction for buyers who must account for the cost of restoration