Navajo Squash Blossom Jewelry, ca. 1965
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GUEST:
My husband found this jewelry when he was walking up a Forest Service road. He noticed a piece of tissue paper, a lot of it, sticking out from behind a rock. He kicked the rock over and lo and behold, that's what was under it. So we called the police, and they didn't have any accounts of stolen stuff, so we advertised it in the paper, and we've had it for 35 years.
APPRAISER:
Do you know what it's called?
GUEST:
Well, I know it's a squash blossom. I think the Navajos are the ones that make it. I don't know for sure, but it's turquoise and silver.
APPRAISER:
That is correct, this is a squash blossom necklace. The necklace extends from here to the naja. It's a crescent naja. And the Native Americans picked up this style from the Spanish conquistadores.
GUEST:
Oh, really?
APPRAISER:
The bracelet is composed of three medallions of turquoise. So the bracelet itself is this wide, and then it extends up your arm.
GUEST:
Uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
Now, the Native Americans had a longstanding culture with silver and turquoise jewelry. It actually started in the mid-1800s and they melted down coins, they used ink and silver, and their jewelry was made for tribal purposes. They traded among themselves; it was a form of status. Now we move into an area of popularity. Tourist quality jewelry.
GUEST:
Uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
And enter the '60s and '70s, where this jewelry was so popular that they mass-produced it. This is Navajo.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
This is from the '60s and '70s.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
It does have turquoise in it, but the turquoise-- and I did collaborate with people from tribal arts...
GUEST:
Uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
This turquoise has been colored-enhanced and stabilized.
GUEST:
Oh, really?
APPRAISER:
So it's not the best turquoise, and it's not the best piece of jewelry.
GUEST:
Oh, okay.
APPRAISER:
A good retail value for both pieces, on today's market, may be $1,500.
GUEST:
You're kidding! Geez, I'd think there was more value in the silver than that!
APPRAISER:
I think $1,500 would probably be a silver value.
GUEST:
I think I'd melt it down and find out.
APPRAISER:
If this piece did not have reconstituted turquoise in it, let's say it was signed by a major Native American designer, it might be $3,000 to $5,000.
GUEST:
Oh, really?
APPRAISER:
But unless it's a major, major name, it's not going to get into that higher bracket.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
There's just too much of it out there.
GUEST:
Well, I like it anyway, so I'll just leave it in my meditation room.
APPRAISER:
Excellent! (laughing)
GUEST:
Thank you.
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