Hi Patina,
I spent several hours on Saturday 5/10/25 closely examining and comparing more than a hundred good images of Bisbee jewelry, cabs and nuggets with each of the polished stones mounted on my newly acquired squash. As a trained scientist of many years who looks for small details I can conclude that all of the gem stones on my squash are indeed Bisbee turquoise with at least a 95% confidence limit.
There is no artisan mark or ID on the back of the Naja, however there was a crumbled price sticker reading $4000! A very high price in the 1970s. I checked back with the seller who confirmed that the price sticker was always there. Moreover she said her grandmother probably purchased it in the 1970s, not the 50s/60s period she originally guessed. I believe this forensic and comparative data support my conclusion.
Soon I will photograph each stone for your close examination. Thanks.
@Sleepingbeauty Hi ~ Thank you for the follow-up information. It sounds like you had a very productive day researching Bisbee turquoise. Yikes, $4000 was indeed a high asking price in the 1970s! I was hoping for a hallmark but, itās not uncommon that the necklace isnāt hallmarked. Please donāt go to any trouble on my behalf by photographing each stone. I think your original photos are very clear and well done. And, Iām able to enlarge those photos on my cellphone.
Hello All, I grew up in Tuscaloosa and my family was from Moundville. I remember being in awe of the history and structures of the Native American mound builders.
Welcome to Turquoise People!
Hi all. I grew up around horsey people on a ranch in Texas and married into a native family, so Iāve been exposed to a lot of beautiful turquoise over the years. When I was young, my parents bought me a single-row Zuni snake eye ring from a little shop in the mountains near Taos that I quite literally loved to death. After that, I avoided turquoise for a long time, thinking I was just too careless to be able to wear it.
Recently, I started learning a little about turquoise jewelry for a gift for my mother. I ended up settling on a pair of Will Denetdale earrings for her, but then I couldnāt stop lookingā¦ Eventually, I broke the seal with a simple Peter Haloo snake eyes ring for myself that reminds me of a friendās grandmotherās ring that I coveted as a small child.
Iām trying to mostly stick to browsing, learning, training my eyes before going off the deep end, but I think itās safe to say I now have the bug. Looking forward to reading and learning more from everyone here 
Welcome to Turquoise People, and we look forward to enabling your newfound addiction (it will definitely become an addiction if youāre not quite there yet 
).
Hi Iām a new rookie,
I live in the UK, StoneHenge is only an hour drive away. My training is countryside management, and worked with the National Park Service in the US and then for the Wildlife Trust here in the UK. As a side hustle, I was a 19th century photo trader physically trading in New York, Paris and in London. I became interested in glass and have been trading pieces for almost 20 years.
My mother is American who had a traumatic start in life and finally opened up about it after 45 years. I decided to start a family search and somebody in the Muscogee Nation was able to link our branch to their family tree! We were the only line she had not been able to research. I had my grandmothersā name and a handful of newspaper clippings.
As part of me trying to make a connection to lost heritage I have become increasingly interested in turquoise. So here is a small selection of my inheritance and newly acquired pieces.
First piece is from Afghanistan the matrix is deep red. Itās small 20 grams
2 is most likely Cloud Mountain 75 grams including findings
3 melted record depression thunder bird
4 both sides of a weighty Hubei / cloud mountain piece weighing in at 249 grams with findings the central piece is as big as an egg 
Hi! My name is Kat and my husband and I live in Wyoming. I may have a jewelry fetishā¦just saynā. 
Iāve been doing research on turquoise and stumbled onto this forum. SOOO much great info here! Thank you, Everyone!
After my mother-in-law passed away in 2019, my husband, as the only child, was gifted both parentsā jewelry. Among the offerings are several amazing turquoise pieces, most of which were purchased in the 70s and 80s. Iām not sure whether we still have the purchase receipts, or if those were accidentally shredded with her other paperwork. 
We had a basic collection appraisal done in 2021 and it looks like my inlaws had a good eye.
What Iām most interested in is the history of the turquoise itself, identifying what type of turquoise each piece is, and adding that into to any artist history. We plan to pass along these pieces to our children, of course, and all the above will only increase both real and sentimental value.
Thanks again for this incredible resource and I look forward to chatting!
Welcome to Turquoise People! Especially love your battery bird (common nickname for the depression era Thunderbird necklace).
Did you work in any particular National Parks while you were here? My nephew is a National Park Superintendent in western Colorado. You have a fascinating story; thank you for sharing! You will learn a lot on this forum, not only from the new threads, but but also from all the old ones, but be careful as it can be addicting 
One of the good things you will learn here is how and where to purchase legitimate items. There is so much fake out there on the internet right now.
Welcome to Turquoise People! We will help you as much as we can with your items. However, just know that nailing down a turquoise mine without actual provenance becomes mostly an educated guessing game. Usually the best we can say is that something looks like it could be from a particular mine, but we have fun doing that I also received a lot of items from my parents when they passed, because I was the only one of my family with an interest in it (lucky me) so I understand how special that makes it.
Whereabouts do you live in Wyoming? Itās such a beautiful state, and I have visited there quite a few times. Years ago I had an uncle that lived in Casper, and an aunt in Jackson Hole, but they have both passed away. My hubby and I were last out there in 2020. We drove in from the the Black Hills, and went on over as far as Cody. We only had a week, and since we drove all the way from Indiana we didnāt make it as far as Yellowstone on that trip. But boy, I love the Bighorns!
You will learn a lot on this forum if you dig in and read. Enjoy!
@Ziacat Thanks for the response! We LOVE Wyoming! We live outside Cheyenne, but travel around frequently. Yellowstone is pretty cool, but I do enjoy the less-touristy places. I have an aunt in Montana, so I frequently drive up that direction. Always such an awe-inspiring adventure! Iām glad I found this forum. Iām already learning a ton! Just finished the cleaning and care section. Great advice there.
Thank you, I learned something new today
I did a 6 month volunteer placement through the SCA ( student conservation association) at Petersburg Nation Battlefield. Primarily the team I was with had a major project conserving 3 civil war earthwork forts. While there I undertook several elements of Ranger training too. I can not praise the treatment we got from all the staff and the NPS the experience was so rewarding.
Thank you for the warning!
I have been a glass trader for some time and apply the same logic I do with that. I only buy in person, I need to see it and feel its weight so I can understand its character. NA jewlery does turn up in the UK finding it at good prices can still be done, but we get so much material from the countryās of India and China here. Much of the items that easy to find are non NA pendants and rings. I have been able to find gem quality and a few other pieces which I will post in show and tell another time. One in particular is very interesting, with head piece and full shoulder and bodice that goes from head to toe.
Been through Cheyenne a couple times, cool city. The last time we came up from Colorado while visiting our nephew and went through Cheyenne, then on over to Laramie. After that we hiked and stayed in a cabin one night in the Medicine Bow (I think theyāre also called the Snowies?) Mountains. So *beautiful.*Bought a used pair of cowboy boots in Saratoga But we really loved Sheridan last time we were out there. Whatās funny is we stayed 2 nights in a little town called Greybull, and I grew up in a small town in IN called Grabill; different spelling, same pronunciation!
Another suggestion is to use the search icon at the top. If you put in a topic you can find all kinds of related threads.
My understanding is that the nickname ābattery bird necklacesā came from the fact that the Pueblo artists used battery casings during the depression years for the black portion.
Your occupation sounds fascinating. I love The NPS, and glad you had a great experience, but of course Iām biased since my nephew is with them He was a the superintendent at Ft DeSoto in Florida for a couple years, and now is the super at Colorado National Monument. There they have found so many ruins, and now dinosaur tracks, that have employed a anthropologist and paleontologist (already had a geologist).
I think you have completely the right idea in purchasing Native art. I also prefer to see it in person before I buy. If I do buy online, itās from shops I am familiar with. Looking forward to seeing your items.
We have some other European members on here!
Yep - the Snowys. Medicine Bow is kind of chopped up. Iām an archery hunter as well and have hunted the Snowys a few times for deer and elk and a place called Shirley Basin for antelope, just north of Rawlins. Not a big game trophy hunter - just a freezer filler. Now that itās just the two of us, we donāt hunt much anymore. But living out of town on the prairie and close to the Laramie Range (We can see Laramie Peak from our house!), we see wildlife daily on our property. Sheridan is a really neat little town. Personal history: my folks dragged me and my 5 brothers all over the US - both moving and sight-seeing - so Iāve been in nearly every state, seen some crazy things, and lived a unique childhood! I also travel for my work. Indiana is a lovely state, but some crazy drivers!
I love all the wildlife out there, but especially the pronghorn. They are just so cool. You live in a beautiful part of the state. I like how the green rolling planes of the east run into the mountains. And the Snowys were not crowded at all. We saw a wolverine run across the snow while we were hiking!
We also had fun shopping and eating in Sheridan, and I especially liked the little coffee shop Bison Union. We spent two days in Buffalo, and got to hike quite a bit in the Bighorns. We also stopped at Devilās Tower on our way over, and I had forgotten how much I love that park. Iād been there when I was in high school, but I donāt think I appreciated it enough. Now I have to get back to your state!
Glad you enjoyed IN. We live up in the north eastern part about 45 minutes from Michigan, so I spend lots of vacation time on the Great Lakes.
Sorry I get a bit carried away when Iām talking about travel
Gurl, we might be kindred travel spirits! Hit me up next time youāre planning to visit Wyoming and Iāll link you to some of the less-known spots of interest.
Iconic Devils Tower from my last visit.
Awesome, Iāll remember that for the next time Iām out there!
Great photo! And I love bison. Hereās one of mine from the last time we were there.
I deal a lot in vintage Native American artifacts and jewelry. I occasionally come across a hallmark or markings that I do recognize or can identify. I think the best way to eventually find answers is to join a forum such as this.
@HeleneH welcome Iām new also everybody here is very friendly and happy to share what knowledge they have about pieces. It would be great to see items you have. The tutorial is very helpful discobot in your messages, will run you through most thingsš