Antique Vintage Native Navajo 900 Sterling Carnelian Foliate Ring Sz 8.75 8.4g

  

We have similar Turquoise and Native American items, which would pair nicely with this piece, for sale this week. Listing description by: Cameron J. Markings : Unmarked, tested, and guaranteed.

Stone treatment : The stone(s) appear to be untreated, but we are not certified gemologists. Stone(s) have been tested and guaranteed using a professional Presidium Duo refractive, heat, and hardness tester. Stone cuts : Carved and polished cabochon. Handmade in the 1960s by a talented Native American silversmith. 900 sterling silver, also known as coin silver.

Features a cabochon cut carnelian stone placed in a bezel setting. The ring face is decorated with foliate motifs that are chased for added detail. Split shoulders flow into the smooth, polished band for secure wear. Tarnish on the sterling silver gives the piece an antique quality we believe is rather lovely, but tarnish can be removed with a buffing, 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. The concept of Pawn, Old Pawn, and Dead Pawn Native American Jewelry came to be in the 1800s. When a loan wasn't repaid, the item became known as either "Old Pawn" or Dead Pawn. Carnelian is a beautiful form of chalcedony gemstone that has been used to create jewelry for nearly 5000 years. It is an opaque-looking stone that ranges in red hues from pale orange to an intense, almost black blood red. Called the stone of kings, carnelian was well suited to carving, and would often be used in seal rings by the great ancient civilizations.