Navajo Bear Claw and Turquoise Ring
By Navajo
Located in Coeur d Alene, ID
Bear claw, Fox Mine turquoise, coral and sterling silver ring by Navajo Silversmith.
Coral, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Navajo Turquoise, Coral and Bear Claw Belt Buckle
By Navajo
Located in Coeur d Alene, ID
Navajo Kingman turquoise and bear claw buckle with small nugget of red coral.
Turquoise, Coral, Sterling Silver
Turquoise Bear Claw Squash Blossom
By Navajo
Located in Coeur d Alene, ID
Turquoise bear claw necklace, said to have been featured in Arizona Highways, purchased from a museum. Stamped BMS. Stunning Red Mountain turquoise. PERIOD: After 1950 ORIGIN: Ariz...
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Coral, Turquoise and Bear Claw Necklace
By Navajo
Located in Coeur d Alene, ID
The turquoise is from the Kingman Mine in Arizona. Bear claw with turquoise and coral. Twelve claws total.
Coral, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver Bear Claw Navajo Turquoise Shadow box Necklace
Located in Wallkill, NY
Bear Claw shadowbox Squash Necklace. 9 Inset Turquoise stones set in bear claws.
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
M. Tsosie Sterling Silver Navajo Bear Claw Necklace 125.26g
Located in Media, PA
The necklace features a series of stylized “bear claw” elements with finely detailed silver feather and leaf work, showcasing the skilled artistry synonymous with Navajo craftsmanship.
Turquoise, Coral, Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver Navajo Bear Claw Hand Made Ring Unisex
Located in Wallkill, NY
Early Sterling silver Navajo Bear Claw ring Coral & Turquoise stones set.
Coral, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Navajo Sleeping Beauty Turquoise and Bear Claw Belt Buckle
By Navajo
Located in Coeur d Alene, ID
Navajo Sleeping Beauty turquoise, bear claw and sterling buckle.
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
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.