Vintage Diné Handmade Silver Bead Necklace with Stamped Graduated Bead Dimensions [SOLD]

A Diné artist from the Navajo Nation made this mid-twentieth-century sterling silver necklace consisting of handmade graduated beads strung on a silver chain.  Each bead was individually shaped, and hand stamped with a crescent motif. Necklaces of silver beads are one of the most traditional styles of Southwestern jewelry, admired and collected by both Native and non-natives alike. Early twentieth century photos show both men and women wearing strands of silver beads. 

This necklace was made of a lighter gauge silver than what was popular earlier in the twentieth century, giving it an ease of wear unlike earlier heavy necklaces. The lighter weight allows it to hang on the wearer’s neck with a graceful elegance. The shorter length makes this necklace very wearable as well as comfortable.

Condition: this necklace is in exceptionally good condition

Provenance: this Vintage Diné Handmade Silver Bead Necklace with Stamped Graduated Bead Dimensions is from the collection of a Santa Fe resident

Recommended Reading: Adair, John. The Navajo and Pueblo Silversmiths. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman. 1944

Relative Links: Navajo Nation, Southwest Indian Jewelry