Eagle Rock Trading Post
Indian Jewelry-Native American Jewelry-Southwest Decor
Item # 276A - Silver Cross Turquoise Naja Necklace
Vintage Navajo silver cross turquoise naja necklace. I believe the necklace was made somewhere between 1920 to 1940 and has been restrung on foxtail chain. It consists of sixty eight (68) hand rolled and punched silver seamed 8mm beads, ten (10) 10mm long melon beads, ten (10) silver cross pendants, and a heavy sandcast turquoise naja. The naja displays a straight three sided rod across the top which has stamping and is hammered flat on each end. A double horseshoe with a diamond cut turquoise stone at top and two round stones, one at each end. The stones are set in smooth bezels with the naja having a heavy gauge wire hook. It measures 2 3/8" by 2 1/4" across. The necklace has a repeating pattern of two round beads, a melon bead, and two more round beads between each cross and has four round beads coming away from the naja on each side. The necklace measures 26" long end to end with a wearable length of 15" long. The necklace weighs 74.7 grams (2.63 ounces). For some reason I want to say the crosses and beads are older than the naja. Especially the crosses, they display characteristics of late 1890's style. What throws me off is the artist's stamp on the naja of STERLING - E.S. MITCHELL. It's rare to see hallmarks on early Navajo pieces, but the only reference I found was that of Stanley Mitchell who began producing in 1935. $486.95