Old Pawn Zuni
20th Century Unknown Native American Bangles
Opal, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1960s American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Coral, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Recent Sales
Mid-20th Century American Modernist More Jewelry
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1960s American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1920s American Native American Collectible Jewelry
Stone, Silver
Mid-20th Century American Modernist Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise
Vintage 1970s American Link Necklaces
Turquoise, Coral, Sterling Silver
People Also Browsed
1990s American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Native American Cuff Bracelets
Lapis Lazuli, Turquoise, Gold, Silver
Vintage 1960s American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Coral, Onyx, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
20th Century American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Silver
Old Pawn Zuni For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is an Old Pawn Zuni?
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.