So, just because you have a Navajo squash that has early coinage on it does not mean that it's early - it just means the coins are - and that's a very important dating factor to be aware of. Almost all of these Navajo squash blossoms were made in the 1960s and maybe 50s, and are a reproduction of an earlier type. The reality is that's actually quite rare. Often Navajo squash blossoms have old coinage on them and people tend to assume because they have these early coins dating from the 1910s or 1930s that it must be from the same timeframe as the coins are. You want to see beads that are very smooth that have been actually worn and used. Native American Jewelry Sterling Silver Royston Turquoise Necklace. Usage is another very important tool in determining age. Navajo Sterling Silver Natural Sierra Nevada Turquoise Squash Blossom Necklace Set Randall Endito. Look for handmade bezels on early pieces versus something that looks more machined and commercially made. The bezel is what attaches and holds the turquoise stone in place. Traditional hand crafted silver squash blossom necklace with 33 hand cut natural turquoise cabochons. What you want to look for with the earliest antique or old pawn jewelry is that it has very little turquoise, and if turquoise is used, that it has very early bezels. Zuni silversmiths also began creating jewelry with small clusters of turquoise and coral, but that usually appeared more finer textured or daintier. The Navajo used turquoise usually in the form of nuggets or cabochons. Turquoise probably didn't begin to be put on Native American jewelry until around the 1890s. The earliest Navajo squash blossoms had very little, if any, turquoise. The Navajo, who made silver-mounted bridles by the 1880s, also used it in this manner, but by 1900, it was most commonly associated with the squash blossom necklace. In the 19th century, it was commonly used by both Plains Indians and the Spanish as a bridle ornament that hung on the horse’s forehead. The crescent-shaped pendant called naja (NAH-zha) is an ancient symbol, used for centuries around the Mediterranean and across Europe. Zuni smiths eventually applied turquoise to squash blossom necklaces and the Navajo then followed suit as did the Hopi. Squash Blossom Necklace, Two Cuff Bracelets, One with a large Turquoise Stone, and Three smaller. Pomegranate trees are not native to America, so the squash flower was probably the closest correlate in Native experience and, as a critical food crop, its blossom certainly was worthy of being wrought in silver. A Collection of Sterling Silver Native American Jewelry. The squash blossom was borrowed from Spanish silver ornament, although Europeans knew it as a pomegranate flower. Absolutely gorgeous Necklace measures 26 inches long. Native American squash blossom necklaces are some of the best known Indian jewelry and are worn by both men and women. Beautiful handmade Navajo Sterling Silver Squash Blossom Necklace. Antique & vintage Navajo, Zuni, and Hopi jewelry for sale
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