Blue Gem turquoise squash blossom necklace by artist Travis Teller

Navajo handcrafted squash blossom necklace. It features a large Naja and 14 butterfly elements. The squash is crafted in a traditonal Navajo style that resembles ones crafted in the 1960's. The squash has 22 Blue Gem turquoise stones. It also features "fluted" or ridge style beads throughout. Uniquely designed to lay flat  when wore due to the butterfly elements having straight tubing on the reverse side that hold the mesh cord the squash blossom is strung on. With the exception of a few of the silver beads this squash blossom is entirety hand made and a true reflection of the artist's talent. An absolute rare find. 

Material: Sterling silver & Blue Gem Turquoise

Measurements:26" with a 2-1/2" x 2" Naja

*All measurements are approximate

• Travis Teller: He is from Lukachuhai Arizona, which is a small town located in the middle of the Navajo reservation, near the four corners area. He has been making jewelry since 2103. He has had many mentors in his life but has developed his own style and technique that resembles the original pieces made by the first Navajo silversmiths. Travis has had his work museums throughout the country and is well known in the southwest for his amazing attention to detail and craftsmanship. “Making jewelry is very much like life, there will be mistakes and tough times, but in the end of it all you have something beautiful and rewarding”

  Squash Blosson definition: While squash blossom imagery can be found in petroglyphs (rock art) that pre-date European contact in the Southwest, Dubin said the squash blossom necklace was created in the late 1870s or early 1880s after the native people of the area contacted Spanish Mexicans. The Navajo, it is believed, were the first tribe to adopt the design, but by the early 1900s, the art form had spread to neighboring tribes, including the Zuni and the Pueblo. While the entire necklace has taken its name from one type of bead, the classic squash blossom necklace has three distinct parts: the plain round beads; the round beads Naja.