Zuni
American Southwest
1940s
Sterling silver and natural turquoise
Length 26 in / 66 cm
Naja 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 in / 6.4 x 6.4 cm
185.31 grams
Provenance: Private collection, Albuquerque, New Mexico
The squash blossom necklace emerged among Southwestern silversmiths in the late nineteenth century, pairing hand-formed silver beads with blossom stations and a crescent naja at the center front. This example is Zuni work, where lapidaries set many small turquoise stones in tight clusters rather than relying on a few large cabochons. Each blossom station carries its own grouping of natural turquoise, and the naja repeats that clustered setting across the full width of the crescent.
The naja itself descends from Spanish and Moorish metalwork, carried into the Southwest and absorbed into Navajo and Zuni silver as both ornament and protective motif. The turquoise shifts from blue to green across the piece, a natural variation that points to untreated stone rather than stabilized or dyed material. At 26 inches and just over 185 grams, the necklace has the weight and scale of a full period squash blossom made to be worn for ceremony and display.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Zuni
American Southwest
1940s
Sterling silver and natural turquoise
Length 26 in / 66 cm
Naja 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 in / 6.4 x 6.4 cm
185.31 grams
Provenance: Private collection, Albuquerque, New Mexico
The squash blossom necklace emerged among Southwestern silversmiths in the late nineteenth century, pairing hand-formed silver beads with blossom stations and a crescent naja at the center front. This example is Zuni work, where lapidaries set many small turquoise stones in tight clusters rather than relying on a few large cabochons. Each blossom station carries its own grouping of natural turquoise, and the naja repeats that clustered setting across the full width of the crescent.
The naja itself descends from Spanish and Moorish metalwork, carried into the Southwest and absorbed into Navajo and Zuni silver as both ornament and protective motif. The turquoise shifts from blue to green across the piece, a natural variation that points to untreated stone rather than stabilized or dyed material. At 26 inches and just over 185 grams, the necklace has the weight and scale of a full period squash blossom made to be worn for ceremony and display.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
