Vintage Navajo Jewelry Set

Turquoise & Mother of Pearl Shell
Sterling Silver
Circa 1970s

During the 1970s, Native American jewelry experienced an incredible boom in popularity. Hollywood celebrities and fashion trends helped fuel demand, and trading posts throughout Gallup worked hard to keep up. It became a period of experimentation and rapid production, with many talented artists creating jewelry that was never hallmarked as shops rushed to fill showcases.

This unsigned vintage set is a wonderful reflection of that era.

The collection combines turquoise and Mother of Pearl shell across three matching pieces — a cuff bracelet, pendant necklace, and ring — each created with its own distinct personality while still working beautifully together as a set. Jewelry suites like this were especially popular during the decade, giving collectors a coordinated Southwestern look that could be worn together or separately.

What makes this set especially interesting is the contrast in techniques. The cuff bracelet uses a shadowbox style construction, creating depth around the alternating turquoise and shell stones. The pendant takes a softer approach with smooth polished silver suspended from sterling silver melon beads accented by nickel round beads. The ring introduces yet another style element with stamped line inlay work, while the bracelet and pendant maintain a clean mirrored silver finish.

That mix of styles captures the creative energy of the 1970s Native jewelry scene perfectly. Artists and silversmiths were experimenting, blending techniques, and creating pieces that focused more on bold Southwestern style than strict uniformity.

Unsigned examples like this are part of Gallup trading post history — authentic Native-made jewelry from a time when demand was so strong that many beautiful works simply left the shop without a hallmark.

Bracelet Size – 6 1/2″ wrist, 1″ wide
Pendant Size – 2 5/8″ x 2″, beads 20″ 
Ring Size – 7,  1 3/4″
Stone – Turquoise & Mother of Pearl Shell
Weight – 2.9 ozt