Antique Vintage Sterling Silver Native Navajo MAISELS Turquoise Ring Sz 3 3.1g
We have similar Navajo and Turquoise items, which would pair nicely with this piece, for sale this week. Listing Description by: Angela A. Age Circa : Antique native Navajo C. Markings : "Sterling" and Maisel's kachina mark on the inside of the band. Country of Origin : United States - Navajo Nation. Brand : Maisel's Trading Post. Gram Weight : 3.1 grams. Color: opaque bright blue hue with a mottled cream matrix. Stone Treatment : The stone(s) appear to be untreated, but we are not certified gemologists. Stone has been tested and guaranteed using a professional Presidium Duo refractive, heat, and hardness tester. Stone Cuts : Smooth and polished cabochon. Length of ring face: 0.790..35. Width of ring face: 0.70.
Band width: 5.82 mm shoulders tapering to 3.20 mm. Ring Size : 3 - due to the style and design of the split band, it may wear slightly larger than this size. Sizable by your local jeweler : Yes. Handmade by a talented Navajo silversmith in the 1960s for Maisel's Trading Post, which was founded in 1939 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Features a beautiful turquoise stone adorning the ring's face. This stone showcases an opaque bright blue hue with a mottled cream matrix. The stone rests in a saw tooth bezel setting which is surrounded by a raised blossom-like motif, created using the repousse metalworking technique.
The shoulders and band feature hand-hammered, stamped arrow, tracks, and circular designs. The split shoulders of the ring taper downwards into the smooth and polished band. Some minor tarnish is present on the sterling silver, giving the ring an antique quality we believe is rather lovely.
The ring face sits a slight angle on the band; this does not affect wear, and be repaired by your local jeweler, if desired. The price has been reduced to reflect this. This listing is for the item only. This beautiful piece was made by a very talented Native American silversmith.
It features handcrafted silversmith work throughout. Antique Native American jewelry is very rare to find. This is due to these pieces being made for reservation and personal use before the tourist trade became popular. Very few pieces were made and even less survived to today. The Navajo Nation sits on 27,000 square miles within the states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah.
The Navajo have a rich history and culture and have become known for creating some of the finest sterling silver and turquoise jewelry, incorporating their own traditional motifs with silversmithing. The squash blossom necklace is perhaps one the most famous Navajo styles produced, along with turquoise inlay rings. Turquoise is an important stone in Navajo culture; symbolizing happiness, good fortune, and good health. The first Navajo silversmith, Atsidi Sani, was taught around 1865 by a Mexican silversmith. Atsidi Sani in turn taught his four sons, who then started teaching other Navajo artisans. In the beginning, Navajo artisans created sterling silver jewelry for themselves and others in the Navajo Nation. Maisel's Indian Trading Post was started in Albuquerque New Mexico during the 1930s, by the 1940s, the trading post had become the largest of its kind on Route 66 and at one time employed over 300 Indigenous artisans on site.The store closed after Mr. Maisel died in the 1960s. Maisels grandson, Skip Maisel, reopened the shop.
It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. Turquoise is found all over the world and has been a popular semi-precious stone used in jewelry and art for thousands of years by many different cultures; from prehistoric times to the present.
Turquoise comes in many beautiful color variations; from the popular bright solid sky-blue hues to dark blue hues with dark spiderwebbing throughout, as well as aqua, teal, and many green varieties, and even some rare white with dark spiderwebbing. Navajo silversmiths, working from 1870 to 1900, learned about stamping from Mexican leather workers, and adopted this to their metal working. Artisans made their own stamps that were passed down to each generation.
Stampings are usually hand hammered using handcrafted or die stamps and include traditional Native American symbols, such as sunbursts, to ornate landscapes. This technique has been passed on and utilized by other Native American tribes and continues to be a popular method of jewelry making.
Repoussé began as an ancient metalworking technique dating as far back as the 3rd century BC, involving malleable metal that was hammered onto the reverse side to create an image on the front. Examples are found all over the world; Greece, Egypt, and even the Hopewell periods in the American southeast. Reverse side hammering was also used to add detail to the front, creating intricate patterns using grooves, indentations, and channeling. The piece was then carefully polished to create a hollow, eye-catching treasure.
The item "Antique Vintage Sterling Silver Native Navajo MAISELS Turquoise Ring Sz 3 3.1g" is in sale since Saturday, August 21, 2021. This item is in the category "Jewelry & Watches\Ethnic, Regional & Tribal\Rings".
The seller is "abeautifultimeco" and is located in Fort Collins, Colorado. This item can be shipped worldwide.
- Country of Origin: United States - Navajo Nation
- Modified Item: No
- Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
- Ethnic Origin: Navajo
- Featured Refinements: Navajo Ring
- Metal Purity: .925
- Signed: Yes
- Main Stone: Turquoise
- Brand: Maisel's
- Metal: Sterling Silver
- Jewelry Type: Rings
- Tribal Affiliation: Navajo
- Ring Size: 3
- Ethnic & Regional Style: Native American