REAL Native American Jewelry~

[Compass Rose]

Hi, all.......our Southwest trip into the Grand Canyon and Sedona came and went and we are sorry that we chose to do such a whirlwind trip in one week. We visited Jerome and bought a really pretty print from a local gallery there and we are getting it framed as I write this. We also bought two prints at a co-op gallery in Williams. And while we were there, I purchased a really pretty Royston turquoise ring from one of jewelry shops there. We drooled at the artwork and jewelry in Sedona, and we never made it to Garlands because they closed at 5pm and all our excursions ended after closing hours. I am just glad to be back so I can catch up with this thread!

 

[OrbitOrange]

Austin Wilson was one of C. G. Wallace's smiths, very important midcentury maker, and of course the Wallace artists are among the most legendary. BTW a book you'd appreciate is Blue Gem, White Metal, about the C G Wallace jewelry and smiths. Hard to find but a nice addition.
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I'm not going with a shopping list, mostly interested in seeing who's new and exciting in the market... also will be looking at the really early stuff.

I'll have to add that book to my list. I just googled it and it does look hard to find though. I'll keep it in mind in case I come across it somewhere. I would definitely love to learn more about the C.G. Wallace smiths.

 

[OrbitOrange]

OMG spectacular pieces! And I could swear I've seen that squash blossom somewhere? From where did you purchase it (if I am not being too nosy)? I am having to be very good for a long, long, while. A couple of very expensive homeowner's repairs to do....

I got the squash from Brown's Trading. You only have to be good until you find that next piece that you absolutely can't live without!

 

[OrbitOrange]

Hi, all.......our Southwest trip into the Grand Canyon and Sedona came and went and we are sorry that we chose to do such a whirlwind trip in one week. We visited Jerome and bought a really pretty print from a local gallery there and we are getting it framed as I write this. We also bought two prints at a co-op gallery in Williams. And while we were there, I purchased a really pretty Royston turquoise ring from one of jewelry shops there. We drooled at the artwork and jewelry in Sedona, and we never made it to Garlands because they closed at 5pm and all our excursions ended after closing hours. I am just glad to be back so I can catch up with this thread!

Picture of the Royston ring please!

 

[chessmont]

I got the squash from Brown's Trading. You only have to be good until you find that next piece that you absolutely can't live without!

Ah yes, I went to the website and I think I saw your necklace - Frank Dishta, right? Though a little hard to see this, it did describe the stones as inlaid, and I recognize the slightly different color of the top stone of the nana. Just stunning!

 

[chessmont]

I got the squash from Brown's Trading. You only have to be good until you find that next piece that you absolutely can't live without!

Oh no, have to be very very good until the NA purchases are paid off from my CCs!

 

[Compass Rose]

You know those hand models with perfect nails and long perfect fingers? Well, I just cannot do that... but, this is the ring I purchased in Williams right near the Grand Canyon Railroad station, where we spent a night before the train ride to the Canyon. It is a vibrant color and highly polished. Contemporary....

 

[Wildflower]

My mother bought so much turquoise back in the 1970's when we were in Arizona. I cannot remember anything about this necklace -- it was her favorite, even over the squash blossom necklaces and many others. (I have all of it now.) She wore it a lot and was even offered $1,000 for it by a jeweler at a show. The next time he saw her with it on he offered her more. Does anybody know what kind of turquoise this is? And how would I begin to clean the silver on this without ruining the turquoise? I've quit wearing it because it's so tarnished and I'm afraid to clean it!

 

[OrbitOrange]

My mother bought so much turquoise back in the 1970's when we were in Arizona. I cannot remember anything about this necklace -- it was her favorite, even over the squash blossom necklaces and many others. (I have all of it now.) She wore it a lot and was even offered $1,000 for it by a jeweler at a show. The next time he saw her with it on he offered her more. Does anybody know what kind of turquoise this is? And how would I begin to clean the silver on this without ruining the turquoise? I've quit wearing it because it's so tarnished and I'm afraid to clean it!

Beutiful necklace! I can't help you with identifying the type of turquoise but it is a beautiful vibrant blue color. I'm wondering if it's Sleeping Beauty, since the color is so bright and the matrix appears to be light. But that's just a guess. As for polishing it, get a cloth polishing cloth for silver and gently rub the beads. It will not hurt the stones if you touch them a little with the cloth.

 

[Compass Rose]

My mother bought so much turquoise back in the 1970's when we were in Arizona. I cannot remember anything about this necklace -- it was her favorite, even over the squash blossom necklaces and many others. (I have all of it now.) She wore it a lot and was even offered $1,000 for it by a jeweler at a show. The next time he saw her with it on he offered her more. Does anybody know what kind of turquoise this is? And how would I begin to clean the silver on this without ruining the turquoise? I've quit wearing it because it's so tarnished and I'm afraid to clean it!

That necklace is worth a lot more than the $1000 you were offered, I can tell you that much. And I agree with OrbitOrange....I think it is Sleeping Beauty for it's vibrant blue colors. The only thing that I also have to say here is that I don't think I would polish the silver. I think it is meant to have a patina....but that is personal choice. I hope you wear this fabulous piece, Wildflower...

 

[OrbitOrange]

You know those hand models with perfect nails and long perfect fingers? Well, I just cannot do that... but, this is the ring I purchased in Williams right near the Grand Canyon Railroad station, where we spent a night before the train ride to the Canyon. It is a vibrant color and highly polished. Contemporary....

Very nice! I like that style of turquoise ring that keeps the silverwork relatively simple (but still distinctively Navajo) and really emphasizes the stone. Both the ring and your hand look great!

 

[Wildflower]

Beutiful necklace! I can't help you with identifying the type of turquoise but it is a beautiful vibrant blue color. I'm wondering if it's Sleeping Beauty, since the color is so bright and the matrix appears to be light. But that's just a guess. As for polishing it, get a cloth polishing cloth for silver and gently rub the beads. It will not hurt the stones if you touch them a little with the cloth.

Thank you for the reply! I looked up Sleeping Beauty and it's so hard to tell just from looking at Google images. I'll keep looking and I'm happy I have a starting point now!

I did try a polishing cloth and it wouldn't touch the tarnish so maybe there is a better kind out there.

Thanks again!

 

[Wildflower]

That necklace is worth a lot more than the $1000 you were offered, I can tell you that much. And I agree with OrbitOrange....I think it is Sleeping Beauty for it's vibrant blue colors. The only thing that I also have to say here is that I don't think I would polish the silver. I think it is meant to have a patina....but that is personal choice. I hope you wear this fabulous piece, Wildflower...

Thank you for the reply! I used to wear it all the time until the silver turned. It doesn't "pop" anymore with the patina so I'm going to keep trying to clean it.

My mother would not have sold it for that price! She purchased 3 Squash Blossom necklaces, 2 of them were very similar and she paid $100 each for them at the time. Five years later she sold one of them to her best friend for the price she paid -- $100. Regretted it so much and it was really supposed to be MINE. At the time I was a young teen and extremely interested in anything Native American from history to jewelry (still am!) and the turquoise pieces my parents bought me are some of my most cherished pieces to this day. And when my mother died, all her jewelry came to me including the turquoise. I can't wear a lot of it because she had much tinier wrists and fingers than me.

 

[OrbitOrange]

Thank you for the reply! I looked up Sleeping Beauty and it's so hard to tell just from looking at Google images. I'll keep looking and I'm happy I have a starting point now!

I did try a polishing cloth and it wouldn't touch the tarnish so maybe there is a better kind out there.

Thanks again!

It's very hard to identify turquoise and I find it even more so with nuggets like yours as opposed to cabochons. As for the polishing cloths, some are impregnated with a material that helps to rub off tarnish while others are just simple cloth. If you get one of the anti-tarnish cloths it should work to polish up sterling. However, I don't disagree with Compass that it looks great as is with a little patina on it. That's a shame that your mom sold the one squash blossom--I would be mad too. Hopefully at least the other one came to you.

 

[jellyv]

The necklace is very attractive, Wildflower. It's hard to guess the turquoise...I would guess possibly stabilized Kingman. The reason I'm not persuaded by Sleeping Beauty is that it would have been a very uncharacteristic use of Sleeping Beauty, which is cabbed out expressly for its clear, unmatrixed blue quality. And here the matrix is def part of the look.
Kingman rough before polishing etc:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/245688...ugget-not?ref=pla_similar_listing_top-1&frs=1

It's a little risky to use a chemical-imbued cloth on the silver because that stuff shouldn't get near your stones. I've tried lots of cloths and find the Sunshine cloth the best for getting after tarnish, but again, I would be seriously judicious if not paranoid about using it near turquoise. I'd just use a mild polishing cloth and take off a little of the patina if that's important to you.

The value now wouldn't be close to what that jeweler is said to have offered, I believe. There's just no specific market for that style, especially if it is stabilized turq. If you'd like another set of eyes on that aspect, try posting on Turquoise People forum.