Navajo Kingman Turquoise Sterling Silver Pendant by Boyd J Ashley

Navajo Golden Hills Turquoise Sterling Silver Pendant by Boyd J Ashley

About:
The Kingman turquoise mine in Arizona is the last remaining commercially producing mine in the United States. The Kingman Mine district was first mined by Native Americans and was part of the most extensive prehistoric workings in Arizona. Evidence suggests turquoise was mined in the surrounding areas dating as far back as 600 AD. Tools like stone hammers were found in the ancient trenches and tunnels running through the hills in 1962.
Natural Kingman Turquoise ranges in color from light to very dark blue and sometimes tints of green. Matrix can range from white, light brown to black and frequently flecked with pyrite and occasionally quartz. Its high blue color has become a “color standard” in the industry, reflected by the name “Kingman Blue”.

Native American History:
The production of Native American jewelry began thousands of years ago with stones, bones, coral, and shells. Natives turned these materials into wearable jewelry and traded them for other goods between tribes.
Jewelry was also a marker of status within Native American communities. Individuals of the ruling or elite class typically wore more elaborate pieces to indicate their significant place in society.
Native Americans even carved tiny beads out of shells and bones to wear as necklaces or bracelets, similar to the ones we wear today.