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Everything You Need to Know about Squash Blossom Necklaces

Both vintage and new squash blossom necklaces are attention-grabbers. These traditional Native American works of art are versatile and fashionable accessories whether you're wearing jeans and a tee or dressing up for the office. Many collectors of Native American art enjoy including vintage jewelry in their collections.

This jewelry was originally used in Navajo ceremonies and to display the wearer's wealth and status. Large and ornate necklaces were especially prized. During the 1800s, European settlers and traders admired their beauty, design, and craftsmanship, sparking an industry that brought income. Ever since, Navajo, Zuni, and Pueblo artists have continued to create beautiful, wearable art.

For many years, both silver and turquoise have been mined in the southwestern U.S. and widely used in Native American jewelry of all types. The use of sterling silver and turquoise is traditional, but other gemstones are sometimes used instead of or in addition to turquoise. The artists producing these unique creations, both now and in the past, work with the available materials. The oldest pieces were all silver, but the design gradually evolved to include turquoise and stones of other colors, such as coral, spiny oyster shell, and tiger eye.

There are two theories about why these necklaces are called "squash blossom" necklaces.

• Theory one: The origin of the name is a Navajo design which resembled opening petals. In Navajo, the design's name meant "bead which spreads out," just as squash blossoms opened and "spread out."
• Theory two: The squash flower design was adapted from a pomegranate design commonly used by Spanish soldiers and settlers. For example, buttons on the soldiers' uniforms carried the pomegranate design and would have been familiar to the Navajo and other tribes.

A traditional squash blossom necklace typically includes three distinct elements. The native artists who created these works of art added their own interpretations, increasing the appeal of these unique items. These elements include:

• The Naja or pendant resembling a horseshoe with the opening at the bottom
• Decorative round beads displaying the customary flower petal design
• Plain round beads made from silver, turquoise or another material