Howdy from beautiful Texas. Here you will find everything you ever wanted to know about Metals, its Origin and the Stones (if applicable). We appreciate your understanding about this since the items we offer are unique. This beautiful Native Jewelry Sterling Silver & Genuine ” Sleeping Beauty” Turquoise Squash Blossom Necklace. Measures 35 long (including the naja)! The naja measures 3″ long and a little more than 2 3/4″ wide at the widest point with a 1/2 gap. The stones on the naja measure a little more than 1/2″ long and a little more than 1/4″ wide and the stones on the side settings measure 1/2″ long and a little more than 1/2″ wide. The Sterling Silver Blossoms measure 3/4″ long and a little more than 1/4″ wide. The sterling silver settings measure each 1″ long and 3/4″ wide (not including the blossoms) and the 5 top settings on the naja measure 1″ long and a little more than 1/2″ wide and the bottom 2 settings measure 3/4″ long and 3/4″ wide. It is a double-strand around the settings and becomes a one-strand around the neck. The necklace has been repaired on the top of the strands because of the age of the Squash Blossom. It has new sterling silver beads (tested positive for sterling silver) and is very comfortable to wear around the neck. This Sterling Silver & “Sleeping Beauty” Turquoise Squash Blossom is 50+ years old!! This Squash Blossom Necklace has a hook and eye clasp. It is not stamped but has been tested positive for sterling silver. It is strung on 7 mm Sterling Silver Beads (original beads) and the new sterling silver beads are 5 mm. It has beautiful craftmanship around the stones. The Necklace is HANDCRAFTED, and the stones are natural & stabilized to avoid breaking easy. The Squash Blossom weighs 175 grams! Sleeping Beauty Mine located in Globe, Arizona is considered to be one of the most important turquoise producing mines in the world. The Sleeping Beauty Mine history began with its storybook name; some say that from a distance, the mountain looks like a sleeping woman – and with a little imagination it does. The mountain was named long before it was mined, but once the mine opened, it adopted the iconic name. The Sleeping Beauty Mine history started more than 40 years ago when it was orginally mined for gold and copper. The Sleeping Beauty Mine closed in the early’60s and over the last decade was reopened to mine cooper and turquoise. Now the Sleeping Beauty Mine is the world’s largest producer of natural turquoise. The Sleeping Beauty Mine history was made through its impeccable turquoise. Arguably the largest producer of turquoise in the world, the Sleeping Beauty Mine is the largest producer of turquoise in the United States. Sleeping Beauty stones are some of the most desirable stones produced in the world. Sleeping Beauty stones are unique in color and quality anywhere from chalky-blue to sky-blue to deep-blue turquoise. Closed to the public, the mine is in full operation producing some of the world’s most coveted turquoise. The process of mining turquoise is simple to understand but takes a lot of work and time. The turquoise begins in the ground and is uncovered by removing the top-layer of ground. Once removed from the earth, it’s then moved to the “pickers” who sift through each piece sorting between roch and turquoise. The turquoise is then taken to the “chipers” who chip the rock away from the stone and the stone is then sorted by shape, quality and color. Turquoise comes from the ground, either in a flat piece, a nugget or large chunk. The desired color of stone is largely dependent upon the area. For example, Egyptians prefer the dark-blue turquoise where as the Italiens prefer the light -blue turquoise. Stabilizing the stone makes the turquoise resilient to color change and more practical for use in turquoise jewelry. Over the years, the Sleeping Beauty Mine has made a name for itself through its storybook name, gold and copper production, and now top-quality turquoise. The production of the stone is in popular demand and although China’s production of turquoise may rival the Sleeping Beauty Mine, the quality is unmatched. Sleeping Beauty Mine, Globe, Arizona. Not fair to our regular customers. (remind me if you need something specific). Thank you for shopping with us! Items Detail: Genuine “Sleeping Beauty” Turquoise & Sterling Silver. Nickel Silver: This used to be named German silver, and silversmiths have used it for the last century for making jewelry. It contains no actual silver and many buyers prefer it over sterling because it does not tarnish and has a shinier look. Genuine Turquoise: Real turquoise stone, although it may be stabilized to protect it. Block Turquoise: Again, this has been used by artisans for decades. Other stones that are made in blocks will described as such. Pawn Jewelry: Jewelry that has been pawned by the owner to a pawn shop, usually in New Mexico. OLD Pawn is jewelry that is vintage or older and was pawned, then acquired by someone else from the pawn. 720 Silver is the same quality used in production of vintage coins. This silver consists of 72% pure silver. The item “Navajo Sterling Silver&Genuine SLEEPING BEAUTY Turquoise Squash Blossom Necklace” is in sale since Sunday, December 27, 2015. This item is in the category “Jewelry & Watches\Ethnic, Regional & Tribal\Native American\Unsigned Artisan Jewelry”. The seller is “ksichtig2010″ and is located in Princeton, Texas. This item can be shipped to United States, to Canada, to United Kingdom, to Australia, to Ireland, to Mexico, to New Zealand, SG, AE, MY.
- Jewelry Type: Necklaces
- Metal: Sterling Silver
- Metal Purity: .925
- Main Stone: Genuine Sleeping Beauty Turquoise
- Country of Origin: Southwest
- Tribal Affiliation: Navajo
- Material: Sterling Silver
- Signed?: Unsigned
- Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
- Artisan: Unknown