Silver squash blossom necklace stringing, your opinion

Identifying & Discovering
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Recently acquired a very old Navajo necklace that appears to be strung on wire that isn’t foxtail, with crimp beads (obviously had been restrung at some point). A friend thought it could be Beadalon. The necklace isn’t heavy, at 120 grams.

Here’s my concern: Can I expect this to be sturdy enough (I myself can’t perceive a weakness in holding or wearing it), is there a probable risk of breakage with this type of stringing, and therefore do I need to look into restringing on foxtail? The necklace lays out correctly, in terms of not being too tight or anything odd. Also, is foxtail in fact more reliable than Beadalon? Another alternative is to get it redone with a neck wrap. However, I don’t want to add weight, so was unsure about that option.
Thoughts?

WIRE
WIRE900×449 159 KB

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you folks have probably noticed that I tend to “diy” :smirk:
If you’re really worried about safety,check out fishing line-it comes in different “weights” as well as material…& they also have crimps & swivels for less $ than the jewelry stuff.

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I prefer foxtail but this is already done and going to do fine, I would leave it alone.

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@Jason Thanks, Jason. I will be relieved not to have to take action on it for now.

Two other quick Qs: Does this wire with crimp bead stringing indicate a time frame/era for the restringing, as in was it used more in a given decade? Or is it just an alternative you see sometimes? Thanks much.

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That style of crimp has been in use for a while, and still is, from items as small as a beaded necklace to rigging on a sailboat (I used to work in a boat shop) :slight_smile:

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Well if these crimp beads can manage rigging, I guess they’ll do all right! Thanks for the info.

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:slightly_smiling_face: your crimps may have been a restring job by a stringer unfamiliar with the original NA stringing, but it should definitely hold. If you wear it lots and lots, you’ll want to check for wear after a long time as the edges of the silver beads will wear the “string” somewhat as it will with tigertail or any other stringing material. Your necklace is very pretty.

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