Antique Vintage 925 Sterling Silver Native Navajo Onyx Shadowbox Necklace 26.3g

We have similar Native and Navajo items, which would pair nicely with this piece, for sale this week. Item Description by: Angela A. Age Circa: Antique Native Navajo C. Markings: Unmarked, tested, and guaranteed. Country of Origin: United States - Navajo Nation. Gram Weight: 26.3 grams. Stone Treatment: The stone(s) appear to be untreated, but we are not certified gemologists. Stone(s) have been tested and guaranteed using a professional Presidium Duo refractive, heat, and hardness tester. Stone Cuts: Carved and polished cabochon.

Chain width: 2.62 mm to 18.32 mm. Pendant measurements: 1.21" long, 0.82" wide.

Closure/Clasp Type: Hook and eye clasp. Link Type: Fancy cable and geometric link chain. Handmade in the 1960s by a talented Navajo silversmith.

Adorning the necklace is an oval pendant featuring a beautiful black onyx stone. The stone rests in a bezel setting surrounded by a low relief and a geometric border in the shadowbox style. The pendant is strung on a sterling silver fancy cable and geometric, triangular link chain.

When worn, the necklace dangles down the chest with the pendant resting against the décolletage on most people. Tarnish on the sterling silver gives this piece an antique quality which we believe is quite lovely. This listing is for the item only. This beautiful piece was made by a very talented Native American silversmith. It features handcrafted silversmith work throughout. Antique Native American jewelry is very rare to find. This is due to these pieces being made for reservation and personal use before the tourist trade became popular. Very few pieces were made and even less survived to today. The Navajo Nation sits on 27,000 square miles within the states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. The Navajo have a rich history and culture and have become known for creating some of the finest sterling silver and turquoise jewelry, incorporating their own traditional motifs with silversmithing. The squash blossom necklace is perhaps one the most famous Navajo styles produced, along with turquoise inlay rings. Turquoise is an important stone in Navajo culture; symbolizing happiness, good fortune, and good health. The first Navajo silversmith, Atsidi Sani, was taught around 1865 by a Mexican silversmith. Atsidi Sani, in turn, taught his four sons, who then started teaching other Navajo artisans. In the beginning, Navajo artisans created sterling silver jewelry for themselves and others in the Navajo Nation. The concept of Pawn, Old Pawn, and Dead Pawn Native American Jewelry came to be in the 1800s. When a loan wasnt repaid, the item became known as either Old Pawn or Dead Pawn. Onyx is a chalcedony quartz gemstone that is found all over the world. It usually has a fine texture and black color; however, some onyx also displays colored bands or ribbons against a black or brown background. Red onyx is quite rare and desirable and is also known as sardonyx. Onyx that has a deep green shade is known as Brazilian green onyx and is very rare. It became a popular stone for sculpture and jewelry in the 1920s and 1930s. The name comes from the Greek word onyx which means nail of a finger or claw. The word onyx comes from the Greek word which can be translated as nail of a finger or claw. In Greco-Roman myth, the goddess of beauty, Aphrodite, lay sleeping when Eros cut her fingernails and left the clippings scattered on the ground. Because no part of a heavenly body can die, the gods turned them into stone which later became known as onyx. The shadowbox is a design that features a hollow shape with a cut out design on top of a solid piece. The beauty of these designs lays in the contrast between the dark recesses of the hollow section, and the beautiful metalwork that has been laid on top of it.

Ambitious jewelers would even set stones inside the hollow sections, giving just a glimpse of the gem through the top layer. The item "Antique Vintage 925 Sterling Silver Native Navajo Onyx Shadowbox Necklace 26.3g" is in sale since Sunday, November 22, 2020. This item is in the category "Jewelry & Watches\Ethnic, Regional & Tribal\Native American\Necklaces & Pendants". The seller is "abeautifultimeco" and is located in Fort Collins, Colorado. This item can be shipped worldwide.

Department: Womens
Brand: Unbranded
Metal: Sterling Silver
Metal Purity: .925
Main Stone: Onyx
Modified Item: No
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Jewelry Type: Necklaces
Country of Origin: United States - Navajo Nation
Tribal Affiliation: Navajo
Ethnic Origin: Navajo
Ethnic & Regional Style: Native American