Squash blossom SET amazing design

[halfbreednowoldbread]

This squash blossom set shows the makers amazing skill and imagination.

The Naja has three different turquoise designs. Some have one ball. The two center ones in the Naja have three balls on top with one ball on bottom. The two bottom ones have two balls on them.

These balls seem to help tie in to the other parts of the set.

The Naja’s triple ball turquoise ties in to the triple balls of the bracelet. The Naja’s double ball turquoise tie into the double ball of the ring.

The funny thing is the maker even made the earnings have a very very small ball which relates to the squash blossom necklace. The maker even made the earrings small so they would be comfortable while wearing them.

The turquoise outer design seems to stamped by hand. The design around the turquoise has a rope design that ties in to the center rope of the bracelet. The sawtooth bezel shows amazing close work holding the turquoise.

Some questions please.

Were squash blossoms made usually as a set?

Any idea of when made?

The stamped balls used in this set, what are they supposed to be? I have no idea.

What type of turquoise? Any idea?

The necklace seems to be unmarked. On the backside it has engraved a tall elongated 8 with a dash and then a number which probably was the cost of the necklace set.
Thank you for noticing and reading this.

[Ziacat]

Beautiful! I don’t know much about squashes, but I have a cuff with little “dots” very similar to yours. The Navajo artist called them “drops.”

I don’t think I will hazard a guess on the turquoise mine. Seems like I often guess Kingman, but . Is there any pyrite?

[halfbreednowoldbread]

There are very few squash blossom sets in my area. The person that sold it to me has been a collector and dealer since he was a young man of all sort of Indian turquoise, rugs, blankets, art, pottery, etc. He said this was the finest set he had ever seen.

My wife wore it to our town’s local restaurant yesterday. An older woman stopped and asked if she could see it. She reached out carefully and held the Naja in her hand. As she held it and felt it, she said it was very very good and that she knew of the jewelry. We told her thank you as we didn’t really know

Thank you Ziacat for your comments. It means a lot to me as I am new to this world of turquoise. I know what pyrite is but I don’t think I see it in some of the turquoise that might have it in the necklace. Thanks again,

[Ziacat]

I believe they sometimes were made as a set, but not always. As far as age, I have no idea. I suspect the drops are just a design element, and I don’t have a guess on the turquoise mine. Kingman doesn’t always have pyrite, but if some is present it can help narrow down the mine.