TrendsFeb 29, 2016
The History Behind … 1970s StyleTrendsFeb 07, 2018
The History Behind … The Squash Blossom Necklace
The latest installment in our antique jewelry series examines the iconic Native American design.
A squash blossom necklace from the collection of the Heard Museum in Phoenix. Created by Zuni artist Leekya Deyuse (1889-1966) in 1939, this particular squash blossom features fetish carvings of frogs in the turquoise. A Zuni trademark, fetish jewelry features animals, leaves or faces carved out of a hard material, like turquoise, coral, rocks or antlers. (Photo credit: Craig Smith with the Heard Museum, Phoenix)
New York--When one thinks of Native American jewelry, there’s likely a design that readily comes to mind.
A necklace crafted in silver and turquoise consisting of round silver beads interspersed with beads that look like they are blooming, all leading down to what looks like a horseshoe or, some would say, a crescent moon turned on its side.
Who were the first to make these necklaces that we know as squash blossoms and where did they get their name? (Hint: It is from a fruit, though maybe not the one you have in mind.)
To learn more about the design, National Jeweler spoke with two experts on the subject: Lois Sherr Dubin, author of a number of books about Native American jewelry including “North American Indian Jewelry and Adornment” and “Jesse Monongya—Opal Bears and Lapis Skies,” and Joseph Tanner and his daughter, Emerald. The Tanners own Tanner’s Indian Arts in Gallup, New Mexico, and have a private collection of squash blossom necklaces.
Here’s what they had to say.
When were the first squash blossom necklaces made?
While squash blossom imagery can be found in petroglyphs (rock art) that pre-date European contact in the Southwest, Dubin said the squash blossom necklace was created in the late 1870s or early 1880s after the native people of the area made contact with Spanish Mexicans.
The Navajo, it is believed, were the first tribe to adopt the design, but by the early 1900s, the art form had spread to neighboring tribes, including the Zuni and the Pueblo.
Native Americans had plenty of their own jewelry before they made contact with the European settlers, yes, but, “This particular art form … was really European-influenced,” she said.
So, we call it a “squash blossom” necklace. Where did that name originate?
The actual origins of the name are “a little loose,” Dubin said.
The name of the necklace really grew out of the one type of bead that was, as mentioned above, developed by and credited to the Navajo, and whose name in the Navajo language translates to “bead which spreads out,” Dubin said.
While the entire necklace has taken its name from one type of bead, the classic squash blossom necklace actually has three distinct parts: the plain round beads; the round beads with the “petals,” so to speak; and the horseshoe-like pendant at the bottom called the Naja.
There is a lot of scholarly discussion around the topic, Dubin said, and there are two competing beliefs about the origin of the name “squash blossom.”
A necklace crafted in silver and turquoise consisting of round silver beads interspersed with beads that look like they are blooming, all leading down to what looks like a horseshoe or, some would say, a crescent moon turned on its side.
Who were the first to make these necklaces that we know as squash blossoms and where did they get their name? (Hint: It is from a fruit, though maybe not the one you have in mind.)
To learn more about the design, National Jeweler spoke with two experts on the subject: Lois Sherr Dubin, author of a number of books about Native American jewelry including “North American Indian Jewelry and Adornment” and “Jesse Monongya—Opal Bears and Lapis Skies,” and Joseph Tanner and his daughter, Emerald. The Tanners own Tanner’s Indian Arts in Gallup, New Mexico, and have a private collection of squash blossom necklaces.
Here’s what they had to say.
When were the first squash blossom necklaces made?
While squash blossom imagery can be found in petroglyphs (rock art) that pre-date European contact in the Southwest, Dubin said the squash blossom necklace was created in the late 1870s or early 1880s after the native people of the area made contact with Spanish Mexicans.
The Navajo, it is believed, were the first tribe to adopt the design, but by the early 1900s, the art form had spread to neighboring tribes, including the Zuni and the Pueblo.
Native Americans had plenty of their own jewelry before they made contact with the European settlers, yes, but, “This particular art form … was really European-influenced,” she said.
So, we call it a “squash blossom” necklace. Where did that name originate?
The actual origins of the name are “a little loose,” Dubin said.
The name of the necklace really grew out of the one type of bead that was, as mentioned above, developed by and credited to the Navajo, and whose name in the Navajo language translates to “bead which spreads out,” Dubin said.
While the entire necklace has taken its name from one type of bead, the classic squash blossom necklace actually has three distinct parts: the plain round beads; the round beads with the “petals,” so to speak; and the horseshoe-like pendant at the bottom called the Naja.
There is a lot of scholarly discussion around the topic, Dubin said, and there are two competing beliefs about the origin of the name “squash blossom.”
Some say that the Navajo created the squash blossom after seeing the pomegranate design frequently used as decoration by the Spanish people, including on the buttons of the soldiers’ uniforms. (In parts of Spain, the pomegranate is a revered fruit; in particular, it is the heraldic symbol of the city of Granada, which is also the Spanish word for the fruit known in English as pomegranate.)
Others, meanwhile, believe that the squash blossom is exactly as advertised—a design taken from the flowery part of the squash plant, which, along with corn and beans, are the crops that Native Americans relied on in the Southwest.
“These are native plants that they would see the importance of, and I am of the belief that most native work has meaning behind it, at least originally,” Dubin said.
Regarding the plain round beads, does the number of them in between the squash blossom beads hold any meaning?
No, Dubin said, it’s arbitrary: “There’s nothing other than the artist’s wish to make it more or less elaborate.”
Aside from the beads, the necklace also has another part, the Naja. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
“Naja” is the name the Navajo gave to a symbol believed to have originated in the Middle East in ancient times. Like some many symbols, it was created as a talisman for protection, with the Moors affixing it to their horses’ bridles to ward off the evil eye.
It ended up as the centerpiece of the squash blossom necklace in one of two ways, Dubin said.
Either the Navajo saw it on the Spanish Mexicans, or it came to the Southwest through the Plains people, the Shawnee or the Delaware. “Again, that’s unclear,” she said. “But the point is, the form itself has ancient origins.”
In early examples of squash blossom necklaces, the Najas are strictly silver, but later Native Americans began adding turquoise and even coral to them as the design evolved over time, Joe Tanner said.
He added that the Naja is also representative of the womb, and when a squash blossom necklace features a single turquoise nugget suspended from the Naja, it is often interpreted to be symbolic of a child in the womb.
Were squash blossom necklaces worn for a specific purpose?
While the necklaces do not have a specific ceremonial use, they were worn as a symbol of one’s status, wealth and cultural belonging.
And the bigger, the better, Dubin said: “You wore your wealth in these cultures—you wore your silver, you wore your turquoise.”
The jewelry the natives made for themselves was big and bold, employing big chunks of turquoise and heavy-gauge silver (see Della Casa Appa’s immense squash blossom necklace above), though the artists tended to scale it down when creating jewelry for tourists and non-natives.
As noted, squash blossom necklaces primarily were crafted in in silver and turquoise. Is that because these were the materials that were readily available to the Native Americans, with the silver coming from Mexico?
Dubin said actually, Native Americans originally used the American silver dollar for their necklaces, doming two coins and then soldering them together. After the government decided they didn’t want coins being used as jewelry materials, they started using sheet silver.
Tanner said the early squash blossom necklaces used what is called “First Phase”-style silversmithing and have a more rustic look to them.
“But (it was) still way ahead of its time,” he noted. “The Native American artists of that time were hand-fabricating jewelry before they had all the tools that contemporary artists today have.”
Gemstone-wise, turquoise was, and still is, a very sacred stone in the Southwest. This is because, first of all, it’s a local stone that comes from “Mother Earth,” Dubin said, and though it originates in places with an arid landscape, it is blue, like water and the sky that brings water.
“It’s just the native beloved stone, a sacred stone,” she said. “You’re not Navajo, you’re not Southwest without your turquoise.”
Related stories will be right here …
While the necklaces do not have a specific ceremonial use, they were worn as a symbol of one’s status, wealth and cultural belonging.
And the bigger, the better, Dubin said: “You wore your wealth in these cultures—you wore your silver, you wore your turquoise.”
The jewelry the natives made for themselves was big and bold, employing big chunks of turquoise and heavy-gauge silver (see Della Casa Appa’s immense squash blossom necklace above), though the artists tended to scale it down when creating jewelry for tourists and non-natives.
As noted, squash blossom necklaces primarily were crafted in in silver and turquoise. Is that because these were the materials that were readily available to the Native Americans, with the silver coming from Mexico?
Dubin said actually, Native Americans originally used the American silver dollar for their necklaces, doming two coins and then soldering them together. After the government decided they didn’t want coins being used as jewelry materials, they started using sheet silver.
Tanner said the early squash blossom necklaces used what is called “First Phase”-style silversmithing and have a more rustic look to them.
“But (it was) still way ahead of its time,” he noted. “The Native American artists of that time were hand-fabricating jewelry before they had all the tools that contemporary artists today have.”
Gemstone-wise, turquoise was, and still is, a very sacred stone in the Southwest. This is because, first of all, it’s a local stone that comes from “Mother Earth,” Dubin said, and though it originates in places with an arid landscape, it is blue, like water and the sky that brings water.
“It’s just the native beloved stone, a sacred stone,” she said. “You’re not Navajo, you’re not Southwest without your turquoise.”
Joe Tanner added that though some gemologists and designers prize the clean, clear, robin’s egg blue turquoise from mines like Sleeping Beauty over stones with a heavier matrix, that’s not the case among Native American designers.
“The old medicine priests in the Southwest say if it doesn’t have the matrix and spider-webbing, then it doesn’t carry that extra strength that (they believe) these patterns bring to the gemstone,” he said.
While turquoise was the main gemstone used, squash blossom necklaces with other gemstones, including coral and mother-of-pearl, can be found.
When was this style at the height of its popularity?
According to Dubin, the squash blossom necklace peaked in the early 1970s, when the bohemian fashion trends of the time begat a turquoise craze.
“There was a frenzy of buying turquoise in the ‘70s in the Southwest, and what was swept up in that were squash blossom necklaces that were heavily inlaid with turquoise,” she said. “And then it kind of subsided a bit.”
But the style never completely disappeared, and while it’s not a prime art form today, it’s considered traditional, and many modern Native Americans designers still pay homage to the style.
Joe Tanner said he sees demand for squash blossom necklaces from a younger generation.
“Part of the reason that it’s so popular in the current retail market is that millennials buyers, they like their jewelry to look handmade,” he said. “They’re going for these more First Phase-style looks so it has the appearance that it is handmade, even in cases in which it is not.”
More on Trends
The Latest
FinancialsMar 10, 2026
Signet Jewelers’ Q4 Sales Fall Flat The jewelry giant released preliminary results for the fourth quarter and full year on Monday, with final results slated to come next week.
MajorsMar 10, 2026
Saks Global to Close 15 More StoresThe retailer also gave an update on its vendor partnerships.
CollectionsMar 10, 2026
Gemstones ‘Bloom’ in Sorellina’s New CollectionThe “Bloom” collection draws from the flower power movement of the 1960s and ‘70s with inlay pendants offered in eight colorways.
Brought to you by
Is This You? Every Jeweler Has This Problem; We Have the Solution.Every jeweler faces the same challenge: helping customers protect what they love. Here’s the solution designed for today’s jewelry business.
Events & AwardsMar 10, 2026
Diamond-Studded Painting Shines at RJO Foundation AuctionThe unique piece was one of the custom works offered at the foundation's recent silent art auction, which garnered nearly $15,000 in total.
Weekly QuizMar 05, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Events & AwardsMar 09, 2026
TJS Announces 2026 Scholarship WinnersAwards were given to four students, one apprentice, and an emerging jeweler.
AuctionsMar 09, 2026
Joanna Carson’s Jewels Lead White-Glove SaleThe top jewelry lot of the late model’s estate sale, hosted by John Moran Auctioneers, was an Oscar Heyman & Brothers for Cartier necklace.
Brought to you by
DCA Enters a New Chapter in Jewelry EducationWith refreshed branding, a new website, updated courses, and a pathway for growth, DCA is dedicated to supporting retail staff development.
GradingMar 06, 2026
Tom Moses Leaving GIA After Nearly 50 YearsMoses, who started at GIA’s Santa Monica lab in 1976, will leave the Gemological Institute of America in May.
Lab-GrownMar 06, 2026
Charles & Colvard Files for Bankruptcy, Citing Price PressuresIncreased competition, falling lab-grown diamond and moissanite prices, and the rising cost of gold took a toll on the moissanite maker.
CollectionsMar 06, 2026
Zome’s ‘Solara’ Earrings Embody Celestial BeautyThe earrings, our Piece of the Week, feature pink tourmalines as planets orbiting around an aquamarine center set in 18-karat rose gold.
MajorsMar 06, 2026
Pomellato’s 2026 IWD Campaign Spotlights Economic Abuse“The Price of Freedom” campaign video for International Women’s Day confronts the quiet violence of financial control.
Policies & IssuesMar 05, 2026
Tariffs to Increase to 15% This Week, Treasury Secretary Says Also, a federal judge has ordered that companies that paid tariffs implemented under the IEEPA are entitled to refunds.
CollectionsMar 05, 2026
Common Era Honors ‘Difficult Women’ in CollectionThe ever-growing collection, which just expanded with the addition of Olga of Kyiv, features cameos of 12 women from history.
TrendsMar 05, 2026
Engagement Ring Trends 2026: What’s In, and WhyWe asked a jewelry historian, designer, bridal director, and wedding expert what’s trending in engagement rings. Here’s what they said.
Events & AwardsMar 05, 2026
AGS Announces Conclave 2026 Speaker LineupThe annual event will be held in Orlando, Florida, from Sept. 14-17.
TrendsMar 05, 2026
Caitríona Balfe Fronts Only Natural Diamonds CoverThe “Outlander” star modeled for the digital cover of the magazine’s spring issue, which features a story on her relationship with jewelry.
MajorsMar 05, 2026
Registration Opens for CIBJO Centenary CongressThis year’s annual congress, which will mark the confederation’s 100th anniversary, will take place this fall in Italy.
MajorsMar 04, 2026
Michael M Opens First StoreBeverly Hills was chosen as the location for the brand’s first store, designed as a “private residence for modern monarchs.”
Policies & IssuesMar 04, 2026
Luxury Brands Temporarily Shutter Middle East StoresKering, Apple, and other retailers have reportedly temporarily closed stores in the Middle East region in light of the recent conflicts.
EditorsMar 04, 2026
Q&A: Brilliant Earth’s CEO on the New Beverly Hills StoreBeth Gerstein discusses the vibe of the new store, what customers want when fine jewelry shopping today, and the details of “Date Night.”
Events & AwardsMar 04, 2026
JIS Miami Spring Show to Feature New Gifts Pavilion, Pop-Up Trends TalksNearly half of buyers are prioritizing silver and fashion collections this season, organizers said.
TrendsMar 04, 2026
Spinelli Kilcollin Rides Free In Year of the Horse CampaignThe “Live Now. Polish Later.” campaign features equestrians wearing the brand’s jewels while galloping across the icy plains of Kazakhstan.
MajorsMar 04, 2026
LeachGarner Names New Brand DirectorThe precious metals provider has promoted Jennifer Ashworth to the role.
Events & AwardsMar 03, 2026
Johnny Nelson Wins David Yurman Gem Awards GrantNelson will be honored as the inaugural grant winner at the Gem Awards gala on March 13.
SourcingMar 03, 2026
7 Trends That Could Define the Diamond Industry’s FutureExperts from India weigh in the politics, policies, and market dynamics for diamantaires to monitor in 2026 and beyond.
MajorsMar 03, 2026
Swiss Refiner Completes Acquisition of Gannon & ScottThe American precious metals refiner’s day-to-day operations remain the same post-acquisition.
