Pawn Jewelry- Navajo squash blossom-shadow box design

Navajo handcrafted Squash Blossom necklace set. Featuring a 21" of length with 8 blossoms and a Naja with 3 stones.The unique design of the mounting is referred to as a "shadowbox" as the silver is domed to create a void to mount the stone. The silver beads are not handmade. Matching post earrings are included. The squash blossom necklace is light weight and easy to wear.It comes attached to its original red pawn ticket.The term "pawn" refers to jewelry that has been pawned to brokers. The practice of pawning jewelry began in the early 1900s when Native Americans and traders would exchange jewelry for food and other necessities, it is still used today and is embedded in the Navajo culture. 

Material: Sterling silver & Turquosie

Tribe affiliation: Navajo

Time period: current 

Overall measurements: 21" in length with 2" Naja

Definition : 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.