Vintage Modernist Navajo Pendant With Mosaic Inlay Turquoise By Jimmy Herald

Every Native American jewelry seller has pieces of jewelry they fall in love with. THIS is one of those pieces. It's hard to let it go because it's exceptionally cool and it's got a great story.

The piece is a modernist Navajo pendant of sterling silver with a dangling rectangular portion of mosaic inlay turquoise. The dangle hangs from an asymmetrical cut inside the wider textured silver pendant. It's really a lovely piece of design work.

The vintage pendant was handmade in 1967 by Navajo jeweler Jimmy Herald who worked in Frank Patania's famous Thunderbird Shop. The piece is so good that it received the second place ribbon in the 1967 Scottsdale National Indian Arts Exhibition. 

We purchased it from a gentleman, who back in 1967 purchased all 5 of the jewelry pieces that won ribbons in the Scottsdale National Indian Arts Exhibition that year. Interestingly, an early bracelet by Charles Loloma was awarded just the honorable mention ribbon. The judges believed this piece was better than than a Charles Loloma! All 5 ribbon pieces were modernist in style.

The original owner had all 5 jewelry items mounted into a framed shadowbox so he could enjoy them in their entirety as a single visual object. We pulled them out of that shadowbox so we could enjoy them as wearable works of art.

This pendant measures 2" long x 1 1/4" wide. It is unsigned.

• Vintage Navajo Pendant
• By Navajo jeweler Jimmy Herald
• Won the 1967 Scottsdale National Indian Arts Exhibition
• Measures 2" long x 1 1/4" wide
• Unsigned
• Hangs from a leather strap