On 1stDibs, you can find the most appropriate victorian turquoise pave for your needs in our varied inventory. Each design created in this style — which was crafted with great care and often made from
Gold,
15k Gold and
Silver — can elevate any look. In our selection of items, you can find a vintage example as well as a contemporary version. Making the right choice when shopping for a victorian turquoise pave may mean carefully reviewing examples of this item dating from different eras — you can find an early iteration of this piece from the 19th Century and a newer version made as recently as the 21st Century, both of which have proven very popular over the years. There have been many well-made iterations of the classic victorian turquoise pave over the years, but those made by
Glorious Antique Jewelry Collection and
Karen Sugarman Designs are often thought to be among the most beautiful. A victorian turquoise pave can be a stylish choice for most occasions, but
Turquoise rings, from our inventory of 22, can add a particularly distinctive touch to your look, day or night. Today, if you’re looking for a
cabochon version of this piece and are unable to find the perfect match, our selection also includes
rose cut and
round cut alternatives. If you’re browsing our inventory for a victorian turquoise pave, you’ll find that many are available today for
women, but there are still pieces to choose from for unisex and
men.
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.