Heart of the Dragonfly Necklace with Vintage U. S. Dimes

This beautiful piece is a classic example of historic Pueblo silverwork, deeply rooted in the blending of Indigenous symbolism and European trade influences.

The central pendant is a double-barred cross terminating in a crescent moon at the base. This design is widely known as the Heart of the Dragonfly Cross.

Long before Spanish contact, the dragonfly was a sacred symbol to the Pueblo peoples, representing water, rainfall, fertility, and a successful harvest. When Spanish friars introduced the double-barred Cross of Caravaca, Pueblo silversmiths (most famously from Isleta Pueblo) cleverly adapted the Christian icon into their own traditional dragonfly motif.

The Crescent Moon: The crescent at the bottom represents the crescent moon, often associated with the Virgin Mary in Catholic iconography, but adopted by Indigenous smiths as an elegant anchor for the design. The cross features fine, hand-stamped geometric patterns along the bars, which is characteristic of early-to-mid 20th-century Pueblo and Navajo silver work.

The Mercury Dimes (1916-1945)

The choice of "Winged Liberty Head" dimes (commonly called Mercury dimes) as charms on the necklace is historically significant. Minted between 1916 and 1945, these coins are composed of 90% silver. The latest date on the dime coins is 1945, so this necklace was likely assembled during or shortly after the 1950s. 

Coin jewelry has a rich history in the Southwest. Early Southwestern silversmiths routinely melted down or directly utilized US and Mexican silver coinage because raw sheet silver was difficult to obtain. Walking into a trading post with a necklace adorned with silver coins was also a literal, wearable display of wealth and financial security.

The hollow silver beads are a testament to meticulous craftsmanship. To make these lightweight, hollow spheres, the silversmith would stamp out flat silver discs, use a doming block to press them into semi-spheres, drill a hole through the center of each, and then meticulously solder two halves together. Buffing and filing the seam creates a lightweight, comfortable strand that prevents a necklace adorned with ten solid coins and a heavy pendant from pulling uncomfortably on the wearer's neck.

This necklace is a stunning, highly collectible piece of Southwest wearable art that beautifully bridges ancestral traditions and mid-century historic trade.

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: this Heart of the Dragonfly Necklace with Vintage U. S. Dimes is from the estate of an Albuquerque gentleman

Reference and Recommended Reading: Bird, Allison. Heart of the Dragonfly: The Historical Development of the Cross Necklace of the Pueblo and Navajo Peoples, Avanyu Publishing, Inc., Albuquerque. 1994

TAG: Southwest Indian Jewelry