Navajo Turquoise
Vintage 1920s American Native American Native American Objects
Sterling Silver
20th Century American Anglo-Indian Vanity Items
Coral, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Belts
Late 20th Century Native American Pendant Necklaces
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Tribal Collectible Jewelry
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Silver
20th Century American Native American Objects
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Native American Fashion Rings
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary North American Native American Fashion Rings
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Native American Link Bracelets
20th Century American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Onyx, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Collectible Jewelry
Silver
Vintage 1960s American Pendant Necklaces
Coral, Turquoise, Silver
Mid-20th Century American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Amber, Onyx, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century American Artisan Cuff Bracelets
Lapis Lazuli, Turquoise, Silver
Vintage 1980s American Native American Link Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1980s American Native American More Rings
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1940s Unknown Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s American Native American More Jewelry
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Early 2000s American Native American Chain Necklaces
Amber, Amethyst, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
20th Century American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Coral, Lapis Lazuli, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s American Native American More Jewelry
Turquoise, Coral, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1950s American Drop Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century American Native American Link Necklaces
Turquoise, Silver, Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century American Native American Link Necklaces
Turquoise, Silver, Sterling Silver
20th Century Pendant Necklaces
Onyx, Pearl, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Cuff Bracelets
Coral, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Unknown Native American More Jewelry
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1950s American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s American Native American Link Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s American More Rings
Coral, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s American Drop Necklaces
Coral, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Art Nouveau Drop Necklaces
Garnet, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
1990s Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century American Native American Native American Objects
Other
Mid-20th Century American Modern Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Gouache
21st Century and Contemporary American Early Victorian Drop Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Cuff Bracelets
21st Century and Contemporary American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Vintage 1980s Native American Pendant Necklaces
Coral, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Collectible Jewelry
Silver
Mid-20th Century More Rings
20th Century American More Jewelry
Turquoise
Mid-20th Century American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Silver
Mid-20th Century American Navajo Native American Objects
20th Century American Cocktail Rings
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1960s Arts and Crafts Stud Earrings
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1980s American Native American Fashion Rings
Coral, Turquoise, Gold, 14k Gold
Vintage 1930s American Navajo Native American Objects
Silver
Vintage 1970s American More Necklaces
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century American Navajo Native American Objects
Mid-20th Century Navajo Native American Objects
Mid-20th Century Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
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Navajo Turquoise For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Navajo Turquoise?
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.








