Vintage Navajo Turquoise Red Coral Shell Heishi Necklace Old Pawn Southwest

Name: Vintage Navajo Turquoise Red Coral Shell Heishi Necklace Old Pawn Southwest
Brand: Old Pawn
SKU: 128026832090
Price: 599.95 USD
Availability: InStock

USD 599.95

Condition: Pre-owned

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Description

View Vintage Navajo Turquoise Red Coral Shell Heishi Necklace Old Pawn Southwest with current marketplace pricing, condition, product images and item details. The turquoise ranges from blue-green to green with attractive dark matrix, giving every stone its own character. Turquoise, coral and shell have all been important materials in. I especially like the contrast between the soft cream shell at the upper portion, the earthy red-orange center beads, and the irregular turquoise. Wonderful vintage Southwestern Native American heishi necklace, accompanied by an old handwritten note identifying it as a genuine Navajo necklace and an older, collectible pawn piece. This is a beautifully composed necklace with long sections of finely cut cream and naturally variegated shell heishi, transitioning into rich red-orange heishi beads that appear consistent with coral, and accented throughout with individually shaped natural turquoise tabs and nuggets. The turquoise ranges from blue-green to green with attractive dark matrix, giving every stone its own character. The design becomes increasingly dramatic toward the center, where the warm coral-colored heishi forms the dominant strand and the larger turquoise pieces are spaced almost rhythmically along it. I especially like the contrast between the soft cream shell at the upper portion, the earthy red-orange center beads, and the irregular turquoise. Heishi beadwork has an ancient history in the American Southwest and is particularly associated with Kewa Pueblo, formerly Santo Domingo Pueblo, New Mexico, where artisans became renowned for painstakingly cutting, drilling, grinding and polishing shell and stone into very thin beads. Turquoise, coral and shell have all been important materials in Southwestern Native American jewelry, and historical sources document coral being incorporated into Pueblo as well as Navajo jewelry. This example has tapered silver-colored end cones and a traditional hook-style closure. I do not see a sterling mark, so I have not tested or represented the metal as sterling silver. The necklace measures approximately 21–22 inches end to end, judging from the measurement shown. An old handwritten note accompanies the necklace. It states that the necklace is a genuine Navajo heishi piece, describes it as an older and originally expensive pawn piece, and says that it was probably restrung at some point in its life. I am including that provenance with the necklace. Because the original artist is not identified and the note is secondary provenance, I am listing the individual maker as unknown and describing the cultural attribution conservatively. I believe the necklace dates approximately to the 1960s–1980s, most likely the 1970s. Materials: natural turquoise, shell heishi, red-orange material consistent with coral, and silver-colored metal components. Condition: Very good vintage condition with expected surface wear, natural variation to the hand-cut beads, oxidation/tarnish to the metal and signs consistent with age and use. The turquoise naturally varies in shape, matrix and coloration. The necklace may have been restrung at some point, as noted in the accompanying provenance. It has the wonderful irregularity and tactile quality that gives older Southwestern jewelry so much character—a necklace assembled not merely from beads, but from generations of materials and traditions. Condition: Pre-owned. Category: Jewelry & Watches › Ethnic, Regional & Tribal › Necklaces & Pendants. Brand: Old Pawn.