These Zuni Puebloan Old Pawn earrings came from a Santa Fe Native American jewelry collector and are designed in a clip-on earring. They exude the magnificent beauty and intricate workmanship that Zuni jewelry is celebrated for.

The beauty of Zuni work is for the fact that they are highly skilled lapidarians where each tiny cut is shaped & cut BY HAND. No, these are not calibrated cuts of turquoise, but rather one by one, each are cut by “eye & feel”. With their skilled eyes, each of these cuts are impeccably even in size! The cuts sit in a serrated bezel.

They possess a quiet, understated elegance rooted in their design. At first glance you might expect the floral cluster to sit at the top with the curved stems below, but these are intentionally reversed. The stems point upward on the ear, while the floral cluster rests at the bottom, creating a subtly unexpected and balanced look. (See photos)

By looking closely at the turquoise, the blue-to-green color change visible in some of these stones indicates that they are natural, untreated cuts of turquoise. (Which was the only thing available back in this time period) This change is supported by the visible color change in a few of the cuts. If you zoom in on the photos, this contrast indicates those remaining blue cuts are a higher-quality, they’re less porous turquoise and a “harder” grade. In turquoise, the greater hardness means they have a higher quality, and higher-quality turquoise will maintain it’s color & doesn’t undergo color change over time and typically does not require stabilization for the lapidary to cut and polish it. That characteristic is part of the charm of vintage jewelry, since quality untreated turquoise was the material used before many mines were depleted, lower-grade material became more common, and stabilizing treatments were introduced.

For their small 1.25” tall side, their historical significance and exceptional workmanship, easily outweighs their size! Vintage pieces of jewelry are so highly sought after by collectors and admirers alike.

These I would call having a somewhat of a ‘simple elegance’ and they look beautiful on the ear as they sit close to the face. At first glance you might expect the floral cluster to sit at the top of the ear with the curved stems below, but these are designed in the opposite orientation. The elegantly curved stems rest along the ear while the floral cluster hangs at the bottom, creating a distinct and elegant design.(see photos).

For being only 1-1/4” tall, their historical, collectible quality easily overrides their understated size.

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ARTIST: Unknown

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Zuni Pueblo, NM

CIRCA MADE: 1950-1960

METAL: Sterling (Professionally tested)

FINISH: Warm Patina

MEASUREMENT: Just shy of 1-1/4” tall x 5/8”

COMBINED WEIGHT: 8.5 Grams

STONE: Natural Turquoise

CUTS: Pear/Tear Drop

CUT SIZE: 6 mm x 2.5 mm

BEZEL: Serrated

EAR STYLE: Clip On (Will send with clip on ear sleeves for extra comfort.)

CONDITION: EXCELLENT Well kept condition-The clip mechanism is tight,they have developed a warm natural patina, no stones are loose ,missing, cracked & are securely in their bezels. On a few of the cuts, they have changed from blue to a deep green due to time & body oils.

HALLMARKED: No-(Typical of Era)

Come Gift Boxed

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SIGNATURE REQUIREMENT:

Anything above a certain price tag, will have a mandatory signature confirmation requirement.(reflected in the shipping price) If you're not home in the day & need them shipped where they can be signed for, please change that in your "Ship To" section before I create the shipping label***I'm sorry if this may be an inconvenience, but I do not ship expensive pieces without one. This is for your safety & mine.

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PLEASE READ BEFORE PURCHASING:
*****I do not consider myself a 'professional photographer" but I do try to give you photos that are 'realistic in color.. Please understand that all screen monitors are different, so the materials can look brighter (or duller) ,more intense or less intense from one computer/phone to the next.

In order to give you close up photos so I can provide you with all the finer detail, the photos can tend to make the item look GIGANTIC & everything is more magnified & exaggerated than in actuality. When you get them in hand, you do not notice as much, as what looks more extreme in the photos. So to get an accurate idea of how big these are, please pull out a tape measure & compare to my given measurements. If you need a photo of them on the ear, please don’t hesitate in contacting me.