Hi all! Thanks for any thoughts on this. Type of turquoise and estimated value? Any opinions on silver-plated vs sterling beads?
(Skip down to pics if you like since I rambled a bit about its history… 
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So the history on this hefty pendant is that my mom purchased it in 2000 at a tiny little jewelry & craft (?) shop on a NA reservation somewhere off old route 66 in AZ.
I was 25 at the time and my mom and I were lost (back in the days of AAA maps /pre- GPS) with an old car that kept overheating. We drove from Ohio to California and ended up lost at least once a day…
Anyway, …we stopped for a break at this little shop on a dirt road somewhere in Arizona. The two very sweet First People ladies inside were stringing jewelry. When Mom picked out this pendant that was in a locked display case, they offered to string it into a necklace. Neither one of us remembers if the beads are silver plated or sterling. I remember they had a limited number of them in a box. Pretty sure from the cost, the smell, and being non-magnetic they are not just base metal…?
As best as we both can remember Mom paid a bit over $50 for the heavy hand stamped turquoise pendant and no more than $85 total or so including the assembly and beads. I remember we thought it was a bargain… My mom called it her Heart of the Desert Necklace.
Type of turquoise and estimated value?
My best guess is that the turquoise is decent quality non-stabilized Chinese (Cloud Mountain?) Or Kingman (wishful thinking?) Or Number 8–I’m probably nuts to hope that…
The turquoise is a pale greenish blue leaning towards blue with a very dark brown almost black matrix. There is a bit of almost olive green color towards one edge. There is a line /crevice I can feel going from the left halfway point to the upper right. Mom can’t remember if it is a crack she glued or if it is natural. The silver colored beads are non-magnetic as is the pendant. Beads feel a bit lightweight to me compared to the heaviness of the pendant. 1st pic taken inside near a window. All other pics were taken outside in natural light. Thanks! I appreciate all your opinions. 
. Mom wore it for years and just recently gave it to me to enjoy. She polished it first before sending it to me. Kinda wish she didn’t do such a good job of removing the beads’ patina. 
