Vintage Navajo Turquoise Nugget Squash Blossom Necklace
Vintage Navajo Turquoise Nugget Squash Blossom Necklace
From Manhattan to Monterey, most people know what a squash blossom necklace is as it's one of the most iconic types of Southwestern Native American jewelry.
Within the category of squash blossom necklaces is a vast array of styles starting with the earliest all-silver examples. Every once in a while, a predominant style of squash blossom necklace emerges.
This one, with its turquoise nuggety goodness wrapped in silver leaves is a groovy look straight outta 1969 (or so) that would've been a far out addition to someone's Woodstock festival attire. It's a showy piece with its turquoise chunks and elongated blossoms on a double row of sterling silver beads.
For a while, these 1960's - 1970's squashes sat in the jewelry drawers of their original collectors gathering dust, but more recently today's younger generations have rediscovered how cool they are and given them new life again. That's the beauty of Native American jewelry - it lives many lives through multiple different generations of fans.
So if you'd like to belt out "Bad Moon Rising" bejeweled in a quintessential necklace from the same era as the song, you know what to do.
Necklace measures 25" from end to end plus naja pendant of 3" long x 3 1/8" wide. Each stone and blossom segment is about 2" in length. Unsigned. The necklace is strung on wire and comes from a New York City collection. It's got a nice, dark patina that, like a fine wine, can only come with age.