Kathleen Livingston 11-Stone Turquoise Cluster Pendant, Navajo Sterling Silver

A 2.5-inch Navajo cluster pendant set with eleven turquoise stones, handmade in sterling silver by Kathleen Livingston.

The piece. A large teardrop stone sits at the center inside a twisted silver rope frame, ringed by ten smaller stones in a diamond-shaped cluster. Each stone has its own hand-formed bezel, and stamped silver flowers and dot accents fill the spaces between them against an oxidized background. The stones are a bright sky blue, several with golden-brown matrix. A wide silver bail sits at the top.

The stone. Turquoise has been the signature stone of Southwestern jewelry for generations. Its blue comes from copper, and the matrix lines are traces of the rock it formed in, so every stone in this cluster is a little different.

The artist. Kathleen Livingston is a Navajo silversmith. The back of this pendant is stamped with her hallmark, "Kathleen Livingston", and "Sterling".

Navajo tradition. Navajo (Diné) silversmithing is a living art form more than 150 years old. Navajo smiths learned metalwork from Mexican plateros in the mid-1800s, and by the 1880s they were setting turquoise in hand-worked silver. Cluster work like this, gathering many stones into one design, is one of the tradition's signature styles.

Details

• Artist: Kathleen Livingston, Navajo
• Hallmark: Kathleen Livingston, Sterling
• Stone: Turquoise, 11 stones
• Metal: 925 sterling silver, oxidized finish
• Size: 2.5 inches long x 1.5 inches wide

Questions buyers ask

Is this authentic Native American jewelry? Yes. It was handmade by Navajo artist Kathleen Livingston and carries her hallmark.

How big is it? 2.5 inches long and 1.5 inches wide, a bold statement size.

How do I care for it? Put it on last and take it off first. Wipe with a soft dry cloth and keep it away from lotion, perfume, water and ultrasonic cleaners.

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Item# PD-T134