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At a Glance: 

Design: Native American turquoise cluster squash blossom necklace with bell-shaped blossoms
Stone: Natural turquoise snake-eye cabochons
Color: Polychrome turquoise in sky-blue, robin’s egg blue, and celadon greens
Accent: Distinctive bell-shaped blossoms with stones framing each opening
Metal: .925 sterling silver (unmarked)
Artist: Attributed to Bernard Bowekaty | Zuni artist
Era: Circa 1940s–1960s
Status: Unsigned and unstamped mid-century Zuni squash blossom necklace
Condition: Fine — see SCJ Vintage Condition Guide

Specifications: 

• Wear scale: opera length — rests at the bust on most wearers and spans the upper chest
  
• Naja: 2" x 1 7/8"
  
• Blossom length: approx. 1 1/4"
• Beads: approx. 6 mm, strung on double-wire 
• Total length (including clasp): 25" 
• Clasp: hook and eye
• Weight: 111.8 grams

Gallery Note:

This mid-century Zuni squash blossom necklace is built around finely arranged snake-eye cabochons. The varied turquoise palette gives the piece a subtle polychrome rhythm across the blossoms and naja, introducing beautiful tonal shifts without overwhelming the refined, delicate stonework.

The bell-shaped blossoms are central to the Bernard Bowekaty attribution, as they are a recognized signature design in his documented work. The sawtooth bezels, tight stone placement, balanced symmetry, and restrained sterling structure reinforce this association. The ensemble keeps the focus on the turquoise spread while highlighting the precision of traditional Zuni cluster work.

The traditional seamed, bench-made silver beads are individually formed, displaying the slight organic variation prized by collectors of vintage Native American jewelry. While the current double-wire stringing is period-appropriate, professional restringing on foxtail chain could be considered to give this 111.8-gram necklace a smoother drape on the chest.

Hallmark & Maker Notes:

This necklace is unsigned, which is common for Zuni work of this era. The attribution to Bernard Bowekaty rests on the distinctive, hand-fabricated bell-shaped blossom forms with tiny turquoise settings framing each opening — a design element closely associated with Bowekaty’s mid-century Zuni work and repeatedly seen in secondary-market and gallery-attributed examples of his squash blossom necklaces.

Bernard Bowekaty was a Zuni Pueblo jeweler and lapidary artist, identified in gallery and reference records as active during the mid-20th century. Published references record him as born around 1927 and passed before 1980, and note that one of his specialties was jewelry using snake-eye turquoise cabochons. Hallmark references associate his signed work with back-to-back BB initials, sometimes followed by ZUNI.

Although this necklace is unsigned, its visual and technical language is consistent with Bowekaty-attributed Zuni work: dense snake-eye turquoise settings, floral cluster stations, a turquoise-set naja, hand-strung silver beads, and the distinctive bell/cone blossom drops with small stones framing each opening. The piece reflects the refined lapidary balance and rhythmic stone placement associated with classic Zuni petit point and snake-eye cluster work.

Because no signature is present, SCJ presents the Bowekaty attribution as a researched visual and technical attribution rather than a signed artist identification. The necklace is best understood as an unsigned mid-century Zuni snake-eye turquoise squash blossom necklace attributed to Bernard Bowekaty on the strength of its bell-blossom construction, cluster layout, and documented stylistic parallels.

✨ Collector inquiries are welcome. SCJ is open to thoughtful questions, documented observations, and new information that deepens the story of a piece. With permission, selected collector notes may be featured in our upcoming Collectors Circle Insights publications.

✨ Collectors Circle Members receive a welcome offer

At a Glance: 

Design: Vintage turquoise and sterling silver bead necklace with double-strand center, single-strand ends, and suspended center drop
Stone: Turquoise cabochons visually consistent with Fox material
Color: Saturated, darker green and teal tones with golden brown matrix and subtle blue-green highlights in stronger light
Accent: Rounded stone stations with twisted wire borders, and oxidized recesses
Metal: .925 sterling silver (unmarked)
Attribution: Design and construction consistent with Navajo work
Era: Circa 1970s
Status: Unmarked and unsigned vintage turquoise and sterling silver bead necklace
Condition: Very Fine — see SCJ Vintage Condition Guide

Specifications:

• Wear scale: statement choker sitting slightly above or at the collarbone on most wearers
• Largest stone: 1 1/2" (bezel to bezel)
• Center drop length: 2 3/4"
• Side stations length range: approx. 13/16" - 1"
• Beads: approx. 8 mm
• Total length: 16 1/2" including clasp; average neck sizes may benefit from a 2-3" extender for a more relaxed drape
• Weight: 88.7 grams

Gallery Note:

This necklace has a quieter kind of presence: dark green to deep teal turquoise, oxidized sterling, and a compact choker profile that feels substantial without becoming loud. The stones are not bright blue statement pieces — their appeal is more restrained, with saturated color, golden-brown matrix, and subtle teal highlights that reward close attention.

The composition is built around rhythm and weight. Seven turquoise stations crown the collar, framed by darkened silver and joined by a double strand of bench-made sterling beads. A suspended oval drop at the center adds movement and a clear focal point without breaking the choker silhouette.

Light changes the read. Indoors, the stones run deeper and more subdued, dark green and teal, carrying the eye from station to station. In stronger light, brighter blue-green flashes surface briefly — then the mood settles back, grounded and refined rather than bright or showy.

The silverwork holds that same character. Beads are visibly hand-assembled, with softened surfaces, seams, and oxidation that give the piece its vintage depth. Each station sits in a heavy frame with twisted wire borders and dark recesses — an old-style protected setting that feels hand-worked from every angle.

The turquoise is identified as visually consistent with Fox material based on color, matrix, and overall appearance. No laboratory documentation accompanies the necklace, and SCJ presents the identification as an evidence-led working attribution rather than a provenance guarantee.

Hallmark & Identification Notes:

This piece carries no maker's hallmark or sterling stamp. The construction speaks clearly — hand-built sterling beads, twisted wire borders, heavy stone stations, oxidized recesses, a wire hook clasp, and a double-strand center — all hallmarks of traditional Navajo silversmithing. SCJ describes the attribution through construction and design language, as is standard practice for unsigned vintage work.

✨ Collector inquiries are welcome. SCJ is open to thoughtful questions, documented observations, and new information that deepens the story of a piece. With permission, selected collector notes may be featured in our upcoming Collectors Circle Insights publications.