Turquoise Necklace Guide Discusses Fashion Styles and Their Heritage

Necklaces are one of the oldest forms of jewelry, rivaled in age and popularity only by the bracelet. With the workability and availability of turquoise in earlier times, it is no surprise it was used frequently for necklace decoration. The turquoise necklace became a fashion success with the different styles and its excellent complexion compatibility. The necklace is one of the most artistically functional articles, complementing the wearer’s face, body shape, height, and age. To suit many fashion requirements and tastes, the turquoise necklace has taken on many forms, all of which fit broadly into the pendant, beaded, or the squash blossom categories.

The Pendant Necklace: Taking advantage of the relative softness of turquoise, ancient peoples easily fashioned it into pendants. Inlaid pendant became more common and popular as people became more versed in the metalworking trade. The inlay process allows for greater creative reign with pendant designs, providing a setting for individual stones and detailed stone mosaics. Whether inlaid or stone, turquoise pendants harmonize with leather cord, leather strips, and chain. The pendant throughout history has been a very popular type of turquoise necklace. As attractive and well-crafted as a pendant necklace may be, its true beauty and character shines while being worn. Those with youthful necklines should wear smaller pendants to subtly show off their smooth skin; while larger pendants should be worn, when desired, as a featured fashion item.

The Beaded Necklace: The soft nature of turquoise allows it to be cut into many sizes and shapes: from nugget, to chip, to heishi. Because there are so many turquoise-compatible gemstones, wood, and metal beads, the only limitations are the imagination and skill of the designer. They are available in various lengths and are available in single and multi-strand versions. As fashion trends steer towards chunky necklaces, large turquoise nugget necklaces are becoming more popular. Though, it is important to remember, the larger the stone, the less real it can look. If the chunky look is not for you, there are more subtle designs; graduated chip, pebble, and heishi offer a more simple and still elegant look.

The Squash Blossom Necklace: A relative newcomer to the turquoise necklace scene, the squash blossom necklace was popularized in the mid-19th century by Navajo and Zuni silversmiths. Since then it has become synonymous with American Indian art and jewelry. No Indian jewelry collection can be complete without a squash blossom necklace. It features a crescent shaped pendant called a "naja", which is "crescent" in Navajo, and beads resembling a squash or pomegranate blossom. The squash blossom is famous for its bold features - while this may deter some, it should be noted there are many versions of the necklace with more subtle and streamlined features.
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Turquoise Jewelry Guide
Turquoise Bracelet Guide