Squash Blossom Necklace
One of the most identifiable pieces of Native American jewelry, the Squash Blossom necklace, originated from the Navajo reservation in the Four Corners region of modern day New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado. First constructed by the Navajo and then later adopted by the Zuni, the earliest evidence of the Squash Blossom necklace dates to the 1880s as a direct product of the explosive development of the silversmith trade among Native American artisans. Although the Navajo created the Squash Blossom necklace, its designs also reflect Spanish and Mexican influences.
Termed by the Navajo as the Naja, the centerpiece of the Squash Blossom necklace is a crescent-shaped pendant. The downward facing crescent resembles the iron horse bridles of Spanish soldiers, who possibly adopted the symbol from the Moors. Despite a slight resemblance to the Squash Blossom flower, the silver designs adorned by the Spanish most likely inspired the hollowed beads of slivered silver of the Squash Blossom necklace. Worn as an ornament on the trousers of Spanish and Mexican soldiers alike, the pieces of silver were fashioned to resemble the pomegranate flower. No matter the influence, the Squash Blossom necklace resulted from Native American ingenuity, artistry, and adaptation.
During the late nineteenth century, the earliest Squash Blossom necklaces were made of hollow silver beads and often lacked the petals now so commonly associated with them. Once mastered by Navajo silversmiths, the ability to solder allowed for the addition of the pedaled beads. By soldering the bead, petals and stem, the ornament is then strung onto the necklace, often intermittently between normal round beads. Until the ability to bevel arose, the first najas were flat pieces of silver with engraved designs. Either replaced by more intricate double and triple-crescents or embellished with a stone, the traditional flat naja became outdated. The enhanced beveling skills and improved lapidary work allowed for the addition of turquoise into the Naja and the Squash Blossom necklace.
Throughout the twentieth century, the more common form of the Squash Blossom necklace consisted of turquoise in silver, both in the beads and in the naja, sometimes interspersed with silver squash blossoms. With a natural inclination for the beautiful gemstone of turquoise, the Navajo and Zuni incorporated the stone into all forms of jewelry, but never as dominant as in the Squash Blossom necklace. From green hues to bright blues, the variations of colored turquoise permitted a visual deviation from any particular monotony of colors. Envied for both its beauty and complexity, from collectors and beginners equally, the Squash Blossom necklace, in silver and turquoise forms, symbolizes the jewelry of the Southwest.
