SALE IS FOR THE SET!

NECKLACE & EARRING PROVENANCE:

This beautiful set came in through my store by a Los Alamos, NM. based resident who I found through conversation, had some phenomenal parents‍ ‍& who happened to bring in what was left from her mother’s collection who owned the pieces I purchased.

Her father ‘RALPH PARDINGTON’ was the Head of the Three Dimensional Art Department at the Institute of American Indian Arts (I.A.I.A.) in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In addition to teaching Ceramics at I.A.I.A., he supervised instruction in Jewelry, Ceramics, Native Crafts, Sculpture, Weaving, and Foundry Sculpture. He retired after 28 years.

He was a brilliant artist and craftsman whose ceramic wares and sculptures were often recognized as outstanding in regional, national, and international exhibitions. He had many notable collections including The Institute of Contemporary Arts, Washington, D.C.; Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Albuquerque, New Mexico; Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of New Mexico, Santa Fe, New Mexico; Fenn Galleries, Santa Fe, New Mexico; Los Alamos Medical Center, Los Alamos, New Mexico; and Monastery of Christ in the Desert, Abiquiu, New Mexico. He was recruited for private collections by many well-known people including Barbara Mandrel, Fritz Scholder, and former Texas Governor J.B. Connally.

Her mother, ‘JOYCE PARDINGTON” was a devoted stay-at-home mom who—without reducing her to that single role—was also a remarkable artisan. She specialized in “Fiber Art”, creating pieces of such quality and resonance, that some were hung in the World Trade Center. Tragically, those works were destroyed on that horrific day, a profound loss both personally and culturally.

Like her husband, Joyce was also very much connected in our thriving Native American art scene here in Santa Fe, where she purchased & wore some of the best. This set came from her collection & I will be listing a few more pieces that their daughter brought in that belonged to her Mom.

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THE NECKLACE:

Totally made by hand, this piece is made in a distinctive “panel” style of “Grapes.” It features 10 smaller grape panels along the neckline and one larger central panel, each bead was individually handmade and then precisely stacked atop the others to form the clustered fruit. Every grape cluster includes a leaf on both the east and west sides and a stem at the top. The half beads (without sterling backing) along the neckline measure about 6 mm, while the beads in the larger central panel are stacked in the 9 mm range.

I am not sure if there were more grape panels at the time Joyce purchased it and they were later removed, or if the ten panels are how it originally came. I do believe the extender was added at a later date. I had sold one of these grape necklaces before and it was from Mexico. Since there is no hallmark on either the necklace nor the earrings, I suspect some panels on the necklace may have been removed.

Regardless, I love the length — it looks absolutely gorgeous on (see photos), especially worn with a black wardrobe! (One of my personal wardrobe color favorites when paired with sterling!!!) As is, it lands exactly where the eye is drawn. To make this piece truly adjustable, you would need to add an extender chain of any desired length to the other side; doing so, lets you control and customize the length you prefer to wear. But honestly, it looks great as is!

The sterling has a beautiful warm patination, giving it’s time factored vintage charm!

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THE EARRINGS:

Made to match the necklace, these are made with a large 15 mm round bead which acts as the anchor to hold the grape drop that is the same size that’s in the neckline of the necklace. They are made in a clip on earring that’s easy to wear, unlike some of the nickel clip on’ s that are often used for clip earrings. If you don’t do clips, the beaded top can easily be removed & you can easily replace it with a shepherds hook ear wire. Unfortunately, if you go that route, you would lose the beauty of that large bead! But it can be done.

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Please go through all photos, since they play a major role to the description.

ON BOTH:

ARTIST: Unknown

CIRCA MADE: 1980's

MADE IN : Could Be Mexico ?

METAL: Sterling -Professionally Acid Tested 2x’s (which I always do when there’s no hallmark present)

THEME: Grape Necklace/Earring Set

COMES GIFT BOXED.

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NECKLACE:

METAL: Sterling

WEARABLE LENGTH: 17" Length (Measured laying horizontally from hook to eye)

PANEL AMOUNT: 10 in Neckline-1 Central Grape Panel for 11 Total

CENTER GRAPE SIZE: 1-7/8” X 1-5/8”

NECKLINE PANEL SIZE: 1-1/4" x 1-1/4"(At widest/longest points)

WEIGHT: 1.84 Ounces (52.2 Grams)

CLOSURE: Hook & Eye

CONDITION: Used-But well kept & very wearable-Warm patina-There is one slight ‘ding’ in the center grape-

HALLMARK: None (Read in 2nd paragraph under the “Necklace” description)

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EARRINGS:

METAL: Sterling

MEASUREMENTS: 1-7/8" x 1.25" (From beaded top to bottom)

COMBINED WEIGHT: 12.8 Grams

EAR STYLE: Clip On (The clips stay on the ear)

CONDITION: Used an well kept-Warm patina-

HALLMARK: None.

PLEASE READ BEFORE PURCHASING

Close up photos tend to make the item look GIGANTIC & everything is more magnified than in actuality. .So to get an accurate idea of how big both items are, please either check it out being worn to get a rough idea (photo) or you can pull out a tape measure & compare to my given measurements listed above.