Multi-Color Squash Blossom necklace- Bernyse Chavez

Stunning Navajo squash blossom necklace. Measuring 24" in length plus the 2"1/2 Naja, this is a perfectly sized necklace. The vibrant turquoise and spiny oyster shells are set in solid sterling silver with a antique finish. The matching earrings a currently a silver post and backings but can easily be switched to dangle if needed. The pictures of this squash blossom necklace don't show the true beauty of this special piece. A truly one-of-a-kind. Navajo crafted multi-color squash blossom necklace by artist" Bernyse Chavez SQUASH BLOSSOM NECKLACE: 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. It is also representative of the womb, and when a squash blossom necklace features a single turquoise nugget suspended from the Naja, it is often interpreted to be symbolic of a child in the womb. Sonoran Gold Canyon Turquoise is an interesting turquoise from Senora, Mexico, near Nogales, Arizona, and its neighbor: Nogales, Mexico, which is the northernmost point in all of Mexico. The series of mines bearing this name are on several sites contingent to the American border. Very little hard natural material has been mined here. Most has needed stabilizing to be useful. The high-grade natural material is a medium blue, with darker blue matrix, forming a "birds’ eye" pattern. This is usually accompanied by iron pyrite, giving it a similar look to a high-grade Morenci. The high-grade turquoise from this mine is rare and is considered both esoteric and valuable. Spiny Oyster Shell (orange, purple and reddish colors) Living Spondylus shells are, indeed, very spiny, but the polished product looks very smooth the most used Spondylid Bivalve shell colors include orange, reds, and purples and may include distinct striations and color variations. One also finds pink, red, brown, yellow, orange, and white on the market. The Yellow Spiny Oyster’s especially rare. In the American Oceans, the Spondylids occur along the North American coasts, as far north as North Carolina, on the Atlantic Coast, and northwestern Mexico, on the Pacific Coast. It develops in waters to South America. The Orange Spiny Oyster occurs in shallow to moderately deep waters, where snorkelers and scuba divers readily harvest them. Purple Spiny Oysters grow in deeper water, making them more difficult to find and harvest