Navajo Squash Blossom Necklace with Blue Gem Turquoise [SOLD]

C4262D-necklace.jpg

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Jeweler Once Known
  • Category: Necklaces
  • Origin: Diné of the Navajo Nation
  • Medium: Silver and Turquoise
  • Size: 28” End to End;
    Naja: 2-¼” x 2-¼”;
    Largest Blossom: ¾”
  • Item # C4262D
  • SOLD

Simple fastener mechanism holds everything together.

This mid-century Navajo squash blossom necklace is a classic example of the finest traditional Diné artistry. Twenty-two striking Blue Gem turquoise cabochons are placed in expertly crafted “squash blossoms.” Each individual blossom consists of a polished oval-shaped cabochon of high grade Blue Gem turquoise. The turquoise was then placed in an intricate, eye-catching setting of twisted wire, silver drops, and a stamped section on a silver platform. The blossoms are graduated in size from larger at the base, to smaller at the neckline. These uniquely crafted blossoms are strung in a graduated manner drawing the eye to the central pendant—a naja consisting of rows of twisted and solid wire with small pieces of turquoise at the ends. A central pendant dangles from the center of the naja. All of the elements are strung on a double row of handmade silver beads. Crafted by an unknown but extremely talented silversmith in the mid-twentieth century, this is one of the finest squash blossom necklaces from that time period we have had in the gallery in a long time. The quality of both the stones and the stunning craftsmanship make it a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. 

According to Woodward in A Brief History of Navajo Silversmithing: “It is my contention that  all of these beads were originally Spanish-Mexican trouser and jacket ornaments. I have previously mentioned the extensive use of silver ball buttons and those which were fashioned to resemble the pomegranate.” The naja is also of Spanish origin, by way of the Moors. From Margery Bedinger in Indian Silver: Navajo and Pueblo Jewelers: “The Moors carried this amulet to Spain, and the Spaniards in their turn to their North American colonies.”  Beginning as early as the 1880s, innovative and inventive Diné artists adapted the designs and made them their own. Today we associate a crescent-shaped pendant strung with uniquely-shaped beads as a traditional Diné form. This necklace is unsigned, as was the custom in the 1940s.


Condition: The Navajo Squash Blossom Necklace with Blue Gem Turquoise is in excellent condition. The stones are all intact and the silver is in fine shape, with a gorgeous patina that comes with age. 

Provenance:  From the inheritance of a daughter of the Balcomb family, owners of several art galleries of Native American art and objects in the post-WWII era until the 1970s when they closed their last gallery. 

Recommended Reading:

A Brief History of Navajo Silversmithing by Arthur Woodward

Indian Silver: Navajo and Pueblo Jewelers by Margery Bedinger

Relative Links: necklaceNavajoSouthwest Indian Jewelry

Close up view of this wonderful silver and turquoise necklace.

Jeweler Once Known
  • Category: Necklaces
  • Origin: Diné of the Navajo Nation
  • Medium: Silver and Turquoise
  • Size: 28” End to End;
    Naja: 2-¼” x 2-¼”;
    Largest Blossom: ¾”
  • Item # C4262D
  • SOLD

C4262D-necklace.jpgC4262D-large.jpg Click on image to view larger.