Antique Vintage Native Navajo Sterling Silver Red Coral Bird Pin Brooch 20.3g

  

We have similar Coral and Navajo items, which would pair nicely with this piece, for sale this week. Listing description by: Angela A. Markings : Unmarked, tested, and guaranteed. Length: 3.44 mm & 11.29 mm.

Width : 3.06 mm & 7.32 mm. Color : opaque bright red hue. 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. Handmade in the 1960s by talented Navajo silversmith.

Composed of 900 sterling silver, also known as coin silver, a popular purity of silver during this time. Beautiful red coral stones rest in saw tooth bezel settings. Roadrunner motif contains hand-hammered stamped designs.

Completed with a pin stem and locking "c" clasp for secure wear. Tarnish on the sterling silver gives the brooch an antique quality we believe is rather lovely. 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. 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. Red Coral is a highly prized stone by Native American cultures and has long been used by artisans in the Southwest. Spanish traders introduced coral to the Navajo, Zuni, Hopi, and other tribes, and it quickly became a sign and symbol of wealth and status in many different Native American cultures. It varies in color from deep red to orange, with red being the preferred choice of Native American jewelry makers. The item "Antique Vintage Native Navajo Sterling Silver Red Coral Bird Pin Brooch 20.3g" is in sale since Saturday, October 2, 2021.

This item is in the category "Jewelry & Watches\Ethnic, Regional & Tribal\Brooches & Pins". 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
• Closure/Clasp Type: Pin stem and locking "c" clasp
• Pin/Brooch Type: Brooch, lapel, hat pin, scarf pin, tie pin
• Era: Vintage Native Navajo c.

  1960

• Metal Purity: 900
• Main Stone: Coral
• Metal: Sterling Silver
• Jewelry Type: Pins
• Tribal Affiliation: Navajo
• Ethnic & Regional Style: Native American