Navajo Turquoise Pendant
20th Century Pendant Necklaces
Coral, Onyx, Pearl, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s American Retro Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
20th Century Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
20th Century Mexican Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Modernist Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century North American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Onyx, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary North American Art Deco Pendant Necklaces
Sterling Silver
20th Century Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
1990s Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Navajo Collectible Jewelry
Stone, Sterling Silver
1990s American Native American Drop Necklaces
Coral, Lapis Lazuli, Onyx, Opal, Turquoise, Rhodocrosite, 14k Gold, Yell...
2010s American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
20th Century Multi-Strand Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century North American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
20th Century Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
20th Century Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
20th Century Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1980s Native American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1960s Native American Pendant Necklaces
Coral, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
20th Century Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
20th Century Pendant Necklaces
Amber, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Native American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Silver Plate
20th Century Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Silver
Vintage 1970s American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Mexican Native American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, 14k Gold
2010s American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
20th Century Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
20th Century Native American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
20th Century Unknown Native American Pendant Necklaces
Coral, Turquoise, Silver
Vintage 1970s American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Modernist Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
1990s American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Silver, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
20th Century Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Silver
20th Century Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
20th Century Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise
Vintage 1950s American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary North American Art Deco Pendant Necklaces
Sterling Silver
20th Century American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Coral, Lapis Lazuli, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
20th Century American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Coral, Malachite, Onyx, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
20th Century American Navajo Collectible Jewelry
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1980s American Native American Drop Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1940s American Brooches
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
20th Century American Collectible Jewelry
Sterling Silver
1990s American More Necklaces
Onyx, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
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Navajo Turquoise Pendant For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Navajo Turquoise Pendant?
The Legacy of Turquoise in Jewelry Design
The thought of vintage and antique turquoise jewelry often conjures up images of striking Navajo bracelets and necklaces worn with a denim shirt and cowboy boots. This all-American look has been celebrated by fashion designers like Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger on their runways and in ad campaigns. In the October 2016 issue of Vogue magazine, Tom Ford said he only wears turquoise jewelry at his Santa Fe ranch. So what is it about this gorgeous blue-green stone that makes us wish that we were born in December?
It’s not surprising that turquoise is abundant in New Mexico and Arizona because, according to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), it needs to be in “dry and barren regions where acidic, copper-rich groundwater seeps downward and reacts with minerals that contain phosphorus and aluminum.
Turquoise is not found in a single crystal but is a combination of microcrystals. Its appearance, waxy and opaque, is attributed to its structure and composition. “It’s an aggregate of microscopic crystals that form a solid mass. If the crystals are packed closely together, the material is less porous, so it has a finer texture. Fine-textured turquoise has an attractive, waxy luster when it’s polished. Turquoise with a less-dense crystal structure has higher porosity and coarser texture, resulting in a dull luster when it’s polished,” notes the GIA. Since no one wants to set a dull piece of turquoise, porous turquoise is often treated to make the stone more attractive.
In the United States, there have been discoveries of turquoise from 200 B.C. It is not just loose turquoise stones that have been found, but entire suites of jewelry from prehistoric times. In the late 19th-century, the Navajo Indians, who learned silversmithing from the Spanish, started to make beads out of turquoise and eventually combined it with silver around the 1880s. Initially this jewelry was for ceremonial purposes, but it became fashionable once the tourism in the Southwest picked up in the beginning of the 20th century.
Find antique and vintage turquoise rings, necklaces, bracelets and other accessories on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right Pendant-necklaces for You
Whether you’re layering multiple jewelry pieces or opting for a single strand, vintage pendant necklaces are versatile accessories that can elevate your casual wear as easily as they can add a creative flourish to your formal attire.
The earliest jewelry was less about accessorizing than it was about wearers arming themselves with amulets. In Ancient Egypt, some amulets featured a loop so that they could be strung around one’s neck. While rubies have long been one of the few gemstones that can give diamonds a run for their money, members of some ancient civilizations valued the stones from the get-go, donning ruby pendants as well as other stones with the belief that these adornments would bring protection, healing powers or strength. Today, we still wear our charm bracelets and charm pendants around our necks for good luck.
Later, pendant necklaces, like most fine jewelry, were worn strictly by royalty or the upper class and conferred wealth and prestige. This changed over time, thankfully, as wearing jewelry became more widespread, a democratized means of personal expression.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, pendant necklaces evolved from their status as spiritual amulets, but the jewels still carried deep personal significance. Victorian pendants, in particular, were part of the “mourning jewelry” tradition. Wearers would embed their pendants with locks of hair from a deceased loved one as a way of grieving in the wake of a loss. In the case of cameo jewelry, some pendants were even decorated with miniature hand-carved portraits in a detailed raised relief. Today, portraiture is still a characteristic of many of the hand-carved pendant necklaces offered by Italian jewelry house Scala Gioielli.
Luxury fine jewelry brands such as Cartier, BVLGARI and David Yurman offer their own unique interpretations of the cherished accessory, embellishing platinum or gold pendant necklaces with diamonds, sapphires and other stones.
On 1stDibs, find an extraordinary range of vintage pendant necklaces and other necklaces today.
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