Spirit In The Sky - Vintage Navajo Sterling Silver Crushed Turquoise & Coral Inlay Peyote Bird Necklace (VN185)

Spirit In The Sky - Vintage Navajo Sterling Silver Crushed Turquoise & Coral Inlay Peyote Bird Necklace. This hand-crafted necklace is crafted from sterling silver, hallmarked STERLING, and a makers mark of an arrow and symbol. Featuring natural crushed turquoise, natural crushed coral, North American Indigenous Navajo styling, and high quality craftsmanship. This amazing necklace is comprised of 11 hand-crafted sterling silver Peyote birds, which are inlayed with beautiful blue/green crushed turquoise, and Mediterranean colored orange crusted coral. There are hand-made sterling silver beads, which are interspaced between the beautiful birds. The beads continue towards the back of the neck, which allows the necklace to be comfortable when worn. The necklace is in its original condition, and it still its original  crimped hook clasp, which is in perfect working order. I was going to have the necklace rewired, however I have been informed by an expert that the  wire and the clasp is still very sturdy and secure. There is some wire, which is visible at the back, however due to a number of characteristics of the piece such as the placement of the knotting, and the original clasp, it is fair to say that the necklace is made this way, and best to keep everything original since the components are securely in place. This fantastic piece of jewelry celebrates the history and beauty of the talented artistic Navajo people. Truly a museum quality piece to be enjoyed , appreciated, and cherished for many years to come. 

Comments: A majestic and beautiful piece of wearable art. 

History:  The word “turquoise” comes from the French pierre tourques for “Turkish stone.” Meanwhile, pre-Columbian Indigenous Americans mined the turquoise stone throughout the present-day southwestern United States. Shamans used it in sacred ceremonies to commune with the spirit of the sky.

Appearing as solitary forms in the fossil record more than 400 million years ago, corals are extremely ancient animals that evolved into modern reef-building forms over the last 25 million years. Coral reefs are unique (e.g., the largest structures on earth of biological origin) and complex systems.

Silver was discovered after gold and copper about 4000 bce, when it was used in jewelry and as a medium of exchange. The earliest known workings of significant size were those of the pre-Hittites of Cappadocia in eastern Anatolia.

The origins of sterling silver can be traced back to ancient civilizations. Silver was first mined in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) around 4000 BCE, and by 2500 BCE, the Egyptians were using silver for decorative objects. The ancient Greeks and Romans also used silver for coins, jewellery, and tableware.

The term sterling silver denotes any silver alloy in which pure silver makes up at least 92.5 percent of the content. One theory is that the word sterling comes from the name Easterlings—coiners from east German states brought to England during the reign of Henry II (1154–89) to improve the quality of the coinage.

Anthropologists believe the Navajos probably arrived in the Southwest between 800 and 1,000 years ago, crossing the Bering Strait land bridge and traveling south.

The Navajo Nation is the largest American Indigenous reservation in the United States. The capital city of the reservation is Window Rock, Arizona. The Navajo language is so difficult to learn that it was used as a secret code in World War II.

Carson burned villages, slaughtered livestock, and destroyed water sources in order to reduce the Navajo (Diné) to starvation and desperation. With few choices, thousands of Navajo (Diné) surrendered and were forced to march between 250 and 450 miles to the Bosque Redondo Reservation.

The Navajo are a large American Indigenous group currently located in Arizona and New Mexico. In sixteenth-century Spanish documents the Navajo are referred to simply as "Apaches," along with all the other Athapaskan-speaking peoples of the New Mexico province.

"Navajo" is a Spanish adaptation of the Tewa Pueblo word navahu'u, meaning "farm fields in the valley." Early Spanish chroniclers referred to the Navajo as Apaches de Nabajó ("Apaches who farm in the valley"), which was eventually shortened to "Navajo." 

They were at the center of many conflicts and events in the 19th and 20th centuries. The Navajo originally referred to themselves as the Diné - meaning "the people." They became known as the Navajo after interacting with European settlers.

Today, the Navajo Nation is striving to sustain a viable economy for an ever increasing population that now surpasses 250,000.

Measurements: Necklace  27" 

Stone Size: Turquoise and Coral (Crushed) Variety of sizes. 

Weight: 152.40 grams 

Condition: Excellent 

Origin: America    Most likely: Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, or Colorado. 

Date: Circa 1960