Old Pawn Turquoise

Necklaces of Heishe, Nuggets & Tabs; Plus Joclas
Scroll down to find our selection of 1940-50's collectible turquoise necklaces. These old pawn turquoise necklaces are also called "dead pawn". They are strung on cotton cord with the string twisted around forming a comfortable band at the back of the necklace. Due to the fact that these necklaces were actually worn by Indians of the Southwest and are over fifty years old, there is some wear-and-tear to some of the bands. Please view the close-up photographs.

This type of necklace is called the "traditional Navajo necklace" although it was made and worn first by the Pueblo Indians, inherited by them from their ancestors of pre-historic times. Read more on the history of turquoise here.

The Pueblo Indians of the Rio Grande Valley have been the principle turquoise bead makers to the Indian nation for centuries. The Zuni have also been bead makers. Beads are made by flattening turquoise pieces on both sides before drilling. They used to be drilled using an old pump drill such as illustrated on our Home page. Now most of it is drilled with electric drills.

Bead making is often a family affair with the wife doing the drilling and the husband the cutting and polishing. The children, if old enough can string the beads.

These turquoise necklaces have been very popular with the Navajo for a long time. It is shown being worn by both men and women in the earliest pictures taken of Indians in the southwest. Today it is worn by all Indians of the American southwest.

Turquoise necklaces have been an important trade item, together with the "joclas", for the Pueblo Indians of the Rio Grande Valley. Joclas are short strands of turquoise heishe, often adorned with some shell or coral at the bottom. These were originally made as earrings, but were tied to a necklace when not in use.

Some of the strands are strung with shell heishe beads. "Heishe" is a Pueblo Indian word meaning shell. With the shell heishe are added pieces, or tabs, of turquoise and white or red shell.

Multi-strand necklaces of beads and nuggets represent one of the finest way to wear turquoise and show it off in its purest form.
: We offer a restringing service for old and/or broken necklaces.