Just gotta say I like your Cerrillos nail polish! 
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And I’m calling out @mmrogers for being so patient and friendly on this forum with his prompt, no-nonsense, never judgmental responses, clear language, and willingness to share his knowledge and years of experience with a relatively small audience. Thank you, Mike.
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Thanks TAH! I really enjoy the forum, the thoughtful, knowledgeable posts by fellow forum members, and the positive collaborative sense of community here. Can’t think of anywhere else on the internet people can go to learn about and discover the world of Native American jewelry and have questions answered with zero emphasis on purchasing something. Here, it really is all about the love of the art, the traditions, and the artists. Jason has done a tremendous job and a great service to the community world wide, in creating, facilitating, and making this incredible resource available to all of us.
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Thanks! I think I need to call it that. Of course the nail polish company has given it some ridiculous name that has absolutely nothing to do with its color. So renaming is in order 
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I wholeheartedly agree with Tah!!!
I also want to add that I appreciate all of you; y’all make this forum so interesting. I am not on Facebook so don’t have anything to compare, but the pleasure that the site brings me is tremendous. As much as I love my family and friends, I don’t have any like-mindedness there in the addiction to Native American jewelry. They listen, but I (usually ) stop when I notice their eyes glazing My hubby tries really hard, and is interested in it, but even he wears out.
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I looked in the search bar for this site and found this good thread. I’m sure there’s lots more stuff there, I just did a quick search.Understanding Navajo Pearls?
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@Ziacat , oh my goodness yes, this is such a haven for anyone with a love of NA jewellery who doesn’t have friends or family that share the passion! I feel that way, too—I know literally no one else. So it’s such a joy to come here to see what you all have and to share in the delight and learning. I often don’t have much to say beyond a 
and maybe some enthusiastic variation of “My, that’s pretty,” but believe me, I do pore appreciatively over each post.
And @mmrogers and @jason deserve special mention for kindly sharing their knowledge and expertise. Your collective generosity is breathtaking. Thank you all so much.
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Being a newcomer to this forum, I’m grateful for the knowledge, expertise, research, and personal jewelry stories shared here by everyone. Members are welcoming, friendly, and respectful toward each other. To me, this creates a pleasant environment in which to participate, ask questions, and learn. I enjoy being in this fun group of like-minded people who have a passion for turquoise jewelry!
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Sharing this example of machine-made silver beads.
I made the necklace in 1986 with items from Thunderbird Supply, Gallup, NM.
The lips on the beads were pretty large. I filed them down a little and then hand polished them.
You can see some solder marks on the beads. They are pretty lightweight.
The turquoise was sold as unstabalized Sleeping Beauty. It has become a little green. I have some of these beads in a bag. They are a beautiful baby blue in color.
The necklace is very tarnished right now. I lightened the photos so the silver beads could be seen better.
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@fernwood Thanks for posting your pretty necklace. Its backstory and close-up photos is very helpful. (If I had seen the neckIace in a retail store, I would’ve thought it entirely handmade.) I especially like the symmetry of the necklace.
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Hi Fernwood. The solder joints on these beads look like they were joined by hand. Can you post a close up photo of some of the original beads you have in the bag, from the top and side?
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The ones in a bag are the Turquoise. I don’t have any more of the silver ones.
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Thank you. I was spoiled living in AZ and having access to nice materials.
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Here are some close photos of the beads showing solder areas and holes. The necklace is strung pretty tight.
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Thank you, Fernwood. The halves definitely look die punched.
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Thank you. The soldering is messy. Some of the beads have small gaps between the sides.
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Looks like paste solder was used, probably #56 from the color. Things can move around a bit when the flux bubbles up during heating to melting temp.
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@mmrogers So, this prompts a question. I’ve seen some beads like this in necklaces that are set askew, the halves are not aligned. Is this an outcome of what you described in your comment about soldering? Thanks for your help!
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Hi Patina. Misalignment can occur mechanically (things just get put together a bit crooked) or can occur during the soldering process. As the pieces heat up to the boiling point of the water or oily binders in the flux, bubbling can occur and this can physically move pieces around. Also, flux gets slippery when it gets close to the melting temp of the solder, and the pieces being soldered can slip around a bit within the molten flux. This is why you almost always see a silversmith working with a torch in one hand and a long solder pic in the other. The solder pic is used to keep parts in alignment, and wrangle them back into alignment when they start slipping around at 1,200 degrees.
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Hi @mmrogers ~ Thanks so much for taking time to explain this process. I appreciate your clear and concise explanation. It helped me to understand how beads can sometimes end up misaligned. I had no idea such high temps are invloved in jewelry making! I also learned new words like flux & solder picks. Learning is a good thing.
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