Antique Vintage Sterling Silver Native Navajo Turquoise Lizard Pin Brooch 7.2g order

We have similar Navajo and Turquoise items, which would pair nicely with this piece, for sale this week. To view in separate listings, please visit our store and search "Navajo" or "Turquoise" under our items.

Listing Description by: Angela A.

The Piece

Markings: "925," an unidentified maker's mark (GJ), and an old pawn pricing mark on the back of the brooch, tested, and guaranteed

Main Stone: Sleeping Beauty turquoise

Main Stone Measurements/Color:
-Diameter: 4.3 mm to 4.6 mm
-Color: opaque bright blue hue

Accent Stone: --

Accent Stone Measurements/Color: --

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

Item Measurements:
-Length: 2.15"
-Width: 1.48"

Pin/Brooch Style: Brooch, lapel pin, hat pin, scarf pin, tie pin

Closure Type: Pin stem with locking "c" clasp

Convertible to Necklace Pendant: If desired, your local jeweler can add a bale to this piece so it can be worn as a pendant.

Notable Features:
-Handmade during the 1960s by a talented Navajo silversmith
-Composed of .925 sterling silver
-Features five beautiful Sleeping Beauty turquoise stones, mined in Arizona
-The turquoise rest in saw tooth bezel settings, adorning the center of a lizard motif
-Hand-hammered, stamped designs adorn the lizard
-Completed with a pin stem with a locking "c" clasp, allowing it to be worn on a variety of accessories, including hats, scarves, and lapels

Damage: Age appropriate wear. Tarnish on the sterling silver can be removed with a buffing, if desired.

*This listing is for the item only. All display boxes and/or photography props do not come with your purchase.*


The History

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. After 1900, with the tourist trade started booming in the Southwest, and Navajo artisans started commercially producing silver and turquoise jewelry and selling it through the various trading posts.

The concept of Pawn, Old Pawn, and Dead Pawn Native American Jewelry came to be in the 1800s. During this time, trading posts had become commonplace for Native Americans to go and exchange food, tools, and other materials with Colonists. Essentially, banks would loan the shop owners money which was then invested into loans for Native Americans in exchange for their jewelry. When a loan wasn't repaid, the item became known as either “Old Pawn” or “Dead Pawn.”

Turquoise is found all over the world and has been a popular semi-precious stone used in jewelry and art for thousands of years by many different cultures; from prehistoric times to the present. Turquoise comes in many beautiful color variations; from the popular bright solid sky-blue hues to dark blue hues with dark spiderwebbing throughout, as well as aqua, teal, and many green varieties, and even some rare white with dark spiderwebbing.

Sleeping Beauty Turquoise is known throughout the world for its gorgeous solid “robin's egg” blue order hue. This Arizona mine is regarded as one the most important turquoise mines in the world, and it has a very rich history; being mined by the Anasazi people over a 1,000 years ago and being traded in ancient times between North, Central, and South American civilizations. Sleeping Beauty Turquoise was re-discovered by gold and silver miners in the early 1900s and since then, this beautifully bright blue turquoise has become iconic in the gem industry. The Sleeping Beauty Mine closed in 2012, making this highly desired turquoise hard to find.



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