String of Sterling Silver Navajo Pearls [SOLD]

Navajo artists have been creating works of art out of silver since the middle of the 19th century.  They learned the art of silversmithing from their Mexican neighbors. The first Navajo smith was a man named Atsidi Sani (Old Smith). It is generally believed that Atsidi Sani began working with silver around 1860, and by 1880 the art of silver making had spread around the reservation. Since then, the skillful craftsmanship of Navajo jewelers has become world renown. In the Southwest, sterling silver beads are sometimes referred to as “Navajo Pearls.” The simple elegance of a strand of silver beads with no other adornment is like that of cultured pearls.

One of the most iconic items of Navajo jewelry, Navajo pearls are also some of the most difficult to fabricate well. Beginning with one larger center bead, each following bead or group of beads must be made gradually smaller. Since the beads are handmade and drilled, it takes painstaking accuracy to make the beads fall in a graceful manner.

This Navajo Pearl necklace consists of 53 beautifully handcrafted sterling silver beads. They range in size from the largest at ⅝” in the middle to the smallest, ¼” at the end. The beads diminish in size gradually so as to give the necklace an even flow as it hangs. The beads are not stamped, giving them a smooth, more modern look. Each bead was made by soldering two circular forms together and then drilling a hole. The finished beads are strung on a silver chain.

Condition: The necklace String of Sterling Silver Navajo Pearls is in excellent condition

Provenance: From a Colorado collector

Recommended Reading:  Indian Jewelry of the American Southwest by Sarah Peabody and William A. Turnbaugh