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Mother of pearl necklace with two joclas, hogan silver beads, and turquoise / R. Mack Bettis

Essay/Description

Two joclas, hogan silver beads, turquoise and mother of pearl necklace.

The Navajo primarily use silver and turquoise to make jewelry. To the Southwest tribes and even parts of Mexico, turquoise’s color symbolized “the blue of water and the green of growing vegetation, essential conditions for life” (Furst and Furst 1982, 37). Silverworking began after contact with the Spanish, from whom the Navajo stole and traded. By the 1870s, Navajo silversmiths were making jewelry from silver and learning to set stones, particularly turquoise. The Zunis eventually also began creating silver jewelry and created more delicate and detailed designs with turquoise (Furst and Furst 1982, 37-38).

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Title(s): 
Mother of pearl necklace with two joclas, hogan silver beads, and turquoise
Culture: 
Southwest
Date: 
Unknown
Period: 
Historic
Place: 
United States of America
Materials/Techniques: 
turquoise, silver, joclas
Dimensions: 
30”
Object Type: 
Credit Line: 
Gift of R. Mack Bettis
Accession No: 
84.3275
Previous Number(s): 
TL2005.47.52; TL2005.47.52
Department: 
Not On View

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