HOME │ POLICIES & FAQ │ JEWELRY LINKS │ KNOWLEDGE CENTER │ CONTACT │WEBSITE DESIGN│FEEDBACK
Squash Blossom Necklaces
Squash
blossom necklaces are
a traditional adornment for many Native American women, especially
the Navajo. This is ne of the
items to which the Navajo silversmiths
devote much skill. The beads are usually spherical and most
commonly plain, although sometimes fluted. They are made by
punching two disks out of a sheet of silver. These are then wrought
into hemispheres. The two are put
facing each other to form a sphere and then soldered
together. It
has been worn not only by women and little girls,
but also by men of status such as medicine men and chiefs.
The name for squash blossom necklaces comes from the silver beads that made with petal-like additions. In native language they are called the "bead that turns out". You will also frequently find a crescent-shaped object called a "naja" hanging from the bottom of most squash blossom necklaces.
It is the desire of many women to own one of these squash blossom necklaces because it is the quintessential Native American necklace. Many women believe these necklaces look too heavy to wear. Generally we have found wearing them to be very comfortable. An authentic American Indian made sterling silver and turquoise squash blossom is worth the investment and it will repay you with a glorious feeling and tons of complements every time you wear it. Go on, be the envy of all of your friends!
We also do restringing of old necklaces.
|
1960-70's Very Collectible & Rare Bisbee Turquoise Vintage Squash Blossom Necklace
If you prefer a shorter length for your squash blossom than the traditional 28-30", then this one will be a good one for you to consider. The necklace itself is 24" long, but hangs another 2 1/2" more for the naja. The sterling beads are all bench made. Each of the "blossoms" is about 1 1/2" long by a little less than 1" wide. The naja is a nice 3 1/4" wide by 3" tall. One of the bottom stones on the naja has a thin chip out of it that is hardly visible (see bottom row close-up on linked page). Another stone has an area that was filled with something clear and strong. It is perfectly smooth with the top of the stone. Otherwise the necklace is in wonderful condition. $2625.00 $1575.00
Bisbee is truly a rare turquoise. It was originally discovered by the Phelps Dodge Company while mining for copper in the 1950's. It was found in an area of the Bisbee mine at what is known as the Lavender Pit. They found the deposits of turquoise until the mid to late 1960's. During the time that the largest quantities of turquoise were being extracted from the mine, the company made no organized effort to recover it. It simply got loaded into large dump trucks and hauled off to the "dumps". Almost all recovered turquoise was picked up by company employees, taking it home in their lunch boxes, etc. Though this activity was prohibited, it was rarely enforced. For several years (mostly the early to late 70s), these individuals were locally known as "dumpers". At the time they were the only source for this fine turquoise.
|
|
1960-70's Very Collectible & Rare Vintage Bisbee Turquoise Squash Blossom Necklace
Another nice shorter squash blossom 28-30", with large pieces of rare Bisbee turquoise. The necklace itself is 24" long, but hangs another 2 1/2" more for the naja. The sterling beads are all bench made. Each of the six "blossom" is about 1 1/2" long by an 1" wide. The naja is a daintier than most, being 2 3/4" wide by 2 3/4" tall. The necklace feels light and is so easy to wear (I had to try it out for a day!).The center stone on the naja has age cracking on the top of it and there is a tiny chip out of the center. The stone is very securely set and the cracks are superficial so I would not worry about the stone falling apart, unless of course, you really whack it on something hard! Keeping a wax on the stone will help it tremendously. Otherwise the necklace is in wonderful condition. $1350.00 $800.00
|
|
Gorgeous Vintage Kingman Turquoise Squash Blossom Necklace circa 1970's
Many people think that squash blossom necklaces are too heavy to wear. Some are heavy, but this one is not! It has a sizable appearance without being ponderous. The hand crafted bench made beads are relatively large, but since they are hollow they do not add much weight. The length of the necklace is 24" plus the 3 1/4" long naja. Each of the hand crafted blossoms are at least 1 1/4" wide by about 2" long. It is signed "DB". According to my research, there is a Darrel Brown, a Choctaw silversmith who stamps his initials like this, but I cannot be absolutely sure if it is him, or not.
The color of the stones is that beautiful intense turquoise blue
that Kingman turquoise from Arizona is so famous for. They have been
stabilized to retain their color.
$1450.00
$995.00
|
|
Coral Chip Inlay Vintage Squash Blossom Circa 1960's
This is a very unique, one of a kind squash blossom necklace. There are eight "blossoms" plus the naja. Each one has chips of what looks to be orange coral inlaid "Tommy Singer style". The necklace is 26" long and the sand cast naja is 2 " tall by 1 1/2" wide. It is strung on on a silver link chain. The earrings dangle nearly 1 3/4" long and are on sterling wires. The necklace and earrings are in excellent condition (might need a little more polishing) and together they weigh 120.8 grams. The sand cast "blossoms" are in a design similar to a fleur de leis, however they are actually a very stylized form representing the corn plant, which is a Navajo symbol of life. I
tried this necklace on and it lays beautifully and it is not at all
heavy. It's long enough to put on the easy way by slipping it over your
head. The colors of the inlay are like the southwestern color of
Sedona red rock or terracotta. I wore it on a
turquoise blouse and it really looked great!
$1200.00
$499.00
|
|
Extremely Rare One of a Kind Inlaid Vintage Squash Blossom Necklace
Here's one a real show piece that you will likely never see again. The reason this necklace is called a "hip hugger" is because it is so long that it nearly reaches the hips. It is an incredible, extra-long, high quality collector's squash blossom necklace created from beautiful natural turquoise channel set inlaid with sterling silver. This necklace is 36" long plus an additional 5" more with the 5.5" X 4.5" extra-large naja (the horseshoe shape that hangs at the bottom). It is signed "O".
It is very, very rare to find an inlaid squash blossom
necklace, but to find one that is a hip hugger squash blossom
is even more amazing! It weighs 1 pound 4 ounces. That is over 18 troy
ounces or more than 566 grams!
$5,550.00 $4125.00
|
|
Very Large, Very Vintage Squash Blossom Circa 1960's
|
|
Very Unique Turquoise Vintage Squash Blossom Circa 1960's
This squash blossom is circa 1960's. It is 24" long, plus the naja. The "blossoms" rang from 1 1/2" to 1 3/4" long and about 1/2" to 1" wide. The naja is 3 3/8" wide by 3" long. Beads are 8 mm wide. The turquoise used in this
necklace is the most unusual I have ever seen. Notice the
marvelous swirls in the matrix; it is really amazing! Another wonderful
aspect of this particular necklace are the settings. Each one is
hand stamped and made to fit each individual piece of turquoise. I
have not been able to pinpoint the exact mine that this turquoise came
from, but I feel certain it was in Nevada.
|
|
1960-70's Lovely & Light - Turquoise Squash Blossom Necklace
This necklace is perfect in every way: The gorgeous color of the stones is what many think of as "true" turquoise. The stones are genuinely old and natural, not dyed so they have a real turquoise color to them. I believe them to be from the Sleeping Beauty Mine. The necklace is a quintessential squash blossom, with a lovely delicate design where each component is individually handmade. The length and weigh of the necklace is perfect. It is 28" long and while it has a fabulous presence, it is not at all heavy. I have included a close-up photo of a bottom stone in the naja to show that the stone has a small round hole in it. At the time it was made it was filled with a clear resin so there is no chance of it cracking and it is hardly visible. Sleeping Beauty turquoise comes from Arizona and is well-known for being a beautiful blue that is uniform in color with very little to no matrix. Most of the turquoise coming from the mine today is altered or enhanced in some way. The stones in this necklace have not been enhanced. $2600.00 $1295.00
|
|
A Very Uncommon & Distinctive Turquoise Squash Blossom Necklace!
This necklace is so wearable! It is lightweight and the perfect length. The necklace itself is 24" long, and the naja adds another 2" more. The sterling beads are all bench made. Instead of the typical "blossoms", this one has wonderful square channel set genuine turquoise stones. The naja is petite, being 2 1/4" wide by just 2" tall. The design is much more typical of Zuni work than Navajo. It is strung on foxtail wire and is unsigned. There is only one tiny flaw that I can see - one of the beads is bent, which you can see in one of the photos. Otherwise the necklace is in lovely ready-to-wear condition. $1700.00 $850.00
|
|
Circa 1940's Turquoise & Coral Squash Blossom Necklace
It is rare to find a squash blossom of this age made with turquoise AND coral. This is a very nice vintage piece that was likely made for and worn by a Navajo woman. On the back of the naja are numbers scratched into the silver that read 07 43. I believe this is the date it was either made, or pawned. Scratches in another area are much too faint to make out, but could possibly be initials or a name. The length of the necklace is 26" plus the 3" long naja. Each "squash blossom" is 3/4"-7/8" by 1 3/4"-2". The naja is 3" wide by 3" long. The turquoise stones are naturally irregular in their shape and surface areas. They are very old and are turning beautifully greener in color with age. The beads are bench made and the necklace is strung on sturdy wire. It weighs over 243 grams. $4500.00 $2200.00
|
|
A Magnificent & Exceptionally Beautiful Very Vintage Squash Blossom Necklace
This necklace has a wonderful and unique one of a kind design. Each of the "squash blossoms" has a natural turquoise stone set in a lovely floral motif setting. Some of the turquoise is now more green than blue, adding a nice variation to the necklace. They were likely all the same color when the necklace was made, but over time the more porous stones darkened and became more green with wear and natural oils. This is a great indicator of the age of this necklace. Some of the blossom tips have been bent over the years. The length of the necklace is 26" plus the naja. Each of the hand crafted blossoms run 1 1/8-1 1/4" wide by about 2" long. The naja is 3 1/4" wide by 3 1/4" long. It is unsigned, as was common for that era. This is a substantial necklace that weighs just over half a pound! The bezel around the top stone on the naja was inexpertly opened at one time, but the stone set in it is very secure. One stone in the naja has shallow surface fractures, but is not cracked. The necklace was recently expertly restrung and is ready to wear. $4500.00 $2200.00
|
We also do restringing of old necklaces.
