This was given to me years ago and I’m not a jewelery person.
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@Dotcil Hi & Welcome! This is a turquoise Squash Blossom necklace. Very popular in the 1970s - 1980s and are still popular today. Since I’m not an appraiser, I can’t speak to its value. Unfortunately, I don’t see a hallmark which could help identify the maker. It could be Native American made or it may not be. Without a hallmark, that’s challenging to confirm. Hope this helps a bit.
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It’s beautiful! The turquoise appears to be genuine so it’s a win in my book!! I will say most older pieces of NA made jewelry I’ve come across are stamped 925, not the word sterling. But that’s not a definitive way to determine if it’s NA or not. Sorry not more help, but it IS a beautiful piece, I’d wear with pride regardless of the maker!!
@Cltgrl13 Hi there and welcome to the forum. It’s the other way around: 925 is uncommon, Sterling is typical in NA jewelry when it’s hallmarked for silver content.
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I stand corrected! Sorry for getting it backwards, still learning, I’ve only started collecting and the majority of mine are Stamped .925 I’m realizing unless I buy directly from the artist, there’s no real way of knowing which turquoise it is and its’ provenance.
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We are all always learning on here! However, generally if I see 925 I am suspicious as to origin of a piece. I have a lot of Native American jewelry, and only one piece is marked 925, but it also has a hallmark, and I bought it directly from the Navajo artist. Some of my older pieces don’t even have a sterling mark (but I bought them from well respected shops/trading posts in the southwest who verified they were Native made). Shopping online can be a minefield, because imitations are rampant.
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Yes, I got taken for a ride on an Etsy site, said hand made, genuine turquoise, got and was Stamped from Philippines and learned the " Beautiful turquoise and copper matrix" was actually reconstituted turquoise. Needles to say I overpaid for what I actually received.
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@Dotcil The stamped “MJ” on the back of the naja is considered the hallmark on this necklace. A hallmark most always represents the maker of the piece. I’ll check my hallmark book for an “MJ”.
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@Dotcil There were a few “MJ” hallmark listings in my “Bille Hougart Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks” book. The only one similar to your hallmark was listed for Marcella James (Navajo). The brief description of her work includes “squash blossom necklaces.” You may want to research her online to compare her style of jewelry with your squash blossom necklace. This is only a starting point for research (it’s very possible that your SB wasn’t made by Ms. James.)
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