Sonoran Gold Turquoise Squash Blossom Necklace with Navajo Pearls

The squash blossom necklace was created in the Southwest in the late 1870s or early 1880s following contact between Native people of the area with Spanish Mexicans. It is believed the Navajo were the first to adopt the design, but it soon spread to neighboring tribes including the Zuni and Pueblo.

Squash blossom necklaces often have a base of Navajo pearls interspersed with large nuggets or blossom-shaped beads, centering around the large centerpiece, called a Naja. This can be representative of a womb, and when a squash blossom necklace features a single nugget suspended from the Naja, it is often interpreted to be symbolic of a child in the womb.

Mined in Mexico near the city of Cananea, Sonoran Gold Turquoise is a relatively new variety. Unlike most turquoise, it is mined as individual nuggets found mostly in clay deposits and comes in a range of colors from aqua blue to lime green, with a golden to brown matrix. The high grade variety features baby blue and lime green with a yellow spiderweb matrix. 

• 24" end to end
• Navajo pearls measure 1/2" diameter
• Naja measures 2" long, 1 1/2" wide
• Hallmarks: Zia, Sterling