The other day, after paying the bills for the month i had to tell myself “that’s it pal, no turquoise for you this month”.
Then about an hour later i go browse online a bit and catch an ad that says Vintage Turquoise Necklace, Price: 2 Euro. Very dark photos, but the turquoise and cones seemed real so i immediately pulled the trigger.
The necklace arrived today and i am very happy with it. I like the turquoise a lot and the metal is sterling. Not sure what kind of turquoise it is (guessing Chinese for now) but it seems to be natural to me, because of the way the hostrock soaks up water and turns a lot darker while doing so. I’m fascinated by way the turquoise beads have been cut, in a loose manner.
At first i figured that there is no chance that this necklace could be of Native American origin because of the red glass beads (whitehearts) and the crimp beads near the findings. But after some googling it seems that both these items do seem to have been used by Pueblo artists.
I’m really curious about other’s opinion, what might i possibly have here? A ‘general’ Southwest style necklace, an import/copy, or perhaps an authentic Native American piece?
@Bluegreen Hi ~ I like your turquoise necklace! It has a unique flair about it. These are only my guesses & thoughts. I agree with you that the turquoise could be Chinese. Looks like each turquoise disc is separated by a knot similar to how pearls are strung. I see some discs are cut thicker/thinner than others - not sure if this helps in determining whether or not the necklace is Native American . Those long cones may also come into play, here. All things considered, I think it’s really nice necklace & I hope you enjoy wearing it.
This is a really good looking necklace. I would’ve bought it, too! Considering the knots, I would say possibly artisan made, as opposed to Native made.
But anything’s possible, as people experiment with different styles all the time.
Thank you for your kind reply @Patina ! Nice to read that we are thinking along the same lines. I’m fascinated by the way the beads are cut, also those silver beads (with ‘rainbarrel’ shape).
This is one of those items that i really like wearing but then also every now and then will do a deep dive with, to try and figure stuff out. For now i am very interested to have learned that Pueblo artists were incorporating glass (trade) beads in their work.
Thank you @Stracci ! And interesting what you write about the knots. That is something i’ll have to study some more (i also need to be able to recognize old sinew wire. Not sure if i ever saw that in real life yet). I guess i need to find me a good book about Pueblo jewelry.
. Those long cones may also come into play, here. All things considered, I think it’s really nice necklace & I hope you enjoy wearing it.