Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Mid-20th Century American Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Pearl, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Pearl, Turquoise, Silver
Late 20th Century Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Pearl, Sapphire, Turquoise, Yellow Gold
1950s Italian Retro Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Pearl, Turquoise, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Pearl, Turquoise, Other, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Pearl, Turquoise, Gold
20th Century Contemporary Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Pearl, Turquoise, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s Modernist Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Pearl, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Italian Retro Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Amethyst, Pearl, Turquoise, 18k Gold
1990s Italian Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Cultured Pearl, Turquoise, Yellow Gold
1960s French Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Pearl, Turquoise, Gold, 18k Gold
1940s Persian Art Deco Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Diamond, Pearl, Turquoise, 10k Gold
1930s Victorian Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Pearl, Turquoise, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Unknown Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Diamond, Pearl, Ruby, Turquoise, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Mexican Art Deco Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Marcasite, Turquoise, Pearl, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Italian Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Pearl, Turquoise, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s Italian Retro Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Diamond, Pearl, Topaz, Turquoise, 9k Gold, Rose Gold, Silver
1980s Italian Retro Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Turquoise, Pearl, Onyx, Diamond, Platinum, White Gold, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century Italian Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Diamond, Cultured Pearl, Turquoise, Pearl, 18k Gold, Gold
1960s Italian Retro Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Pearl, Turquoise, Gold, 9k Gold, Rose Gold, Silver
1960s Italian Retro Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Agate, Pearl, Turquoise, 9k Gold, Rose Gold, Silver
1950s Modernist Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Cultured Pearl, Turquoise, Sterling Silver, Silver
Mid-20th Century Portuguese Byzantine Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Pearl, Turquoise, Gold
1950s Italian Retro Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Coral, Garnet, Pearl, Ruby, Turquoise, 9k Gold, Rose Gold
1970s American Artisan Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Turquoise, Gilt Metal
Mid-20th Century American Native American Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
1960s Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Pearl, Turquoise, 18k Gold
1950s American Modern Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
1980s German Art Deco Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Gold Plate
1960s Unknown Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Gold Plate
1950s Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Cultured Pearl, Turquoise, Yellow Gold
1960s Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
1960s European Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Late 20th Century American Art Nouveau Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Pearl, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
1990s American Modern Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Mixed Metal
20th Century American Native American Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Agate, Turquoise, Pearl
Mid-20th Century Anglo-Indian Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Amethyst, Citrine, Diamond, Black Diamond, Emerald, Garnet, Opal, Pearl,...
20th Century Asian Retro Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Turquoise, Cultured Pearl, Sterling Silver
1960s Italian Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Gilt Metal
1950s American Artisan Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Brass
1950s Japanese Modern Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Mixed Metal
1960s American Native American Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Coral, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
20th Century Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Onyx, Pearl, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
20th Century Contemporary Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Amethyst, Pearl, Turquoise, 18k Gold, Sterling Silver
1930s French Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Emerald, Pearl, Cultured Pearl, Ruby, Sapphire, Turquoise, Gold, 18k Gol...
1950s Italian Retro Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Diamond, Pearl, Sapphire, Turquoise, 14k Gold, Rose Gold, Silver
20th Century American Tribal Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Stone, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Mother-of-Pearl
Late 20th Century Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Coral, Pearl, Turquoise, Silver, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Pearl, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
20th Century British Retro Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Pearl, Turquoise, Yellow Gold
1990s Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Pearl, Turquoise, Gold, 9k Gold
20th Century Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold
20th Century Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
1950s Unknown Egyptian Revival Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Cultured Pearl, Turquoise, 14k Gold
1980s Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Freshwater Pearl, Turquoise, 14k Gold
1980s Turkish Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage
Citrine, Cultured Pearl, Turquoise, Pearl, 14k Gold
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Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Turquoise Pearl Necklace Vintage?
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 Necklaces for You
We are fortunate to know much of the world’s long and dazzling history of necklaces, as this type of jewelry was so treasured that it was frequently buried with its owners. Today, Van Cleef necklaces, Tiffany necklaces and Cartier necklaces are some of the most popularly searched designer necklaces on 1stDibs.
Lapis lazuli beads adorned necklaces unearthed from the royal graves at the ancient Iraqi civilization of Sumer, while the excavation of King Tut’s burial chamber revealed a sense of style that led to a frenzy of Art Deco designs, with artisans of the 1920s seeking to emulate the elegant work crafted by Ancient Egypt’s goldsmiths and jewelry makers.
In ancient times, pendant necklaces worn by royalty and nobles conferred wealth and prestige. Today, wearing jewelry is about personal expression: Luxury diamond necklaces exude confidence and can symbolize the celebratory nature of a deep romantic relationship, while paper-clip chain-link necklaces designed by the likes of goldsmith Faye Kim are firmly planted in the past as well as the present. Kim works exclusively with eco-friendly gold, and these fashionable, fun accessories owe to the design of 19th-century watch fobs.
For some, necklaces are thought of as being a solely feminine piece, but this widely loved accessory has been gender-neutral for eons. In fact, just as women rarely took to wearing a single necklace during the Renaissance, men of the era layered chains and valuable pendants atop their bejeweled clothing. In modern times, the free-spirited hippie and counterculture movements of the 1960s saw costume-jewelry designers celebrating self-expression through colorful multistrand necklaces and no shortage of beads, which were worn by anyone and everyone.
Even after all of these years, the necklace remains an irrefutable staple of any complete outfit. Although new trends in jewelry are constantly emerging, the glamour and beauty of the past continue to inform modern styles and designs. In a way, the cyclical history of the necklace differs little from its familiar looped form: The celebrated French jewelry house Van Cleef Arpels found much inspiration in King Tut, and, now, their Alhambra collection is a go-to for modern royals. Vintage David Webb necklaces — whose work landed him on the cover of Vogue in 1950, two years after opening his Manhattan shop — were likely inspired by the ornamental styles of ancient Greece, Mesopotamia and Egypt.
On 1stDibs, browse top designers like Dior, Chanel and Bulgari, or shop by your favorite style, from eye-catching choker necklaces to understated links to pearl necklaces and more.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022To determine whether a pearl necklace is modern or vintage, first look for signs of wear, such as blunted edges on the prongs. The pearls will likely have dull spots where they came into contact with skin. The clasp can clue you in, too. Lobster clasps appeared in the 1970s, while early 20th century clasps were generally safety-pin style or C-clasps. Modern necklaces typically have a spring-loaded clasp. Shop a selection of vintage pearl jewelry on 1stDibs.
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