This necklace is on a temporary price markdown so get it before it’s gone. It won’t last long at this price. This piece is absolutely stunning. The color combination is very striking. It’s an authentic Navajo necklace that bears the mark of Teddy Goodluck. It’s a shadowbox squash blossom necklace. The stones are genuine sleeping beauty turquoise and. You can also find his mark there too for comparison. I really enjoyed my time owning this piece and all of the history of native jewelry that I got to study. The workmanship that goes into these pieces is pretty amazing. It was an absolute honor that I look forward to passing on to the next owner. This style of necklace was inspired by other cultural influences such as the Spanish Mexicans and the first necklaces of this style were recorded back as far as the 1880s. There is some speculation as to whether or not the squash blossom design actually came from looking at squash blossoms or if the design was inspired by jewelry worn by the Spaniards that represented pomegranate blossoms. The Naja which is the main crescent part is an ancient symbol used for protection. From end to end the necklace measures 25.5″ and the Naja or crescent measures 2″ across. It weighs a total of 68 grams. One of the squash blossoms is slightly bent but it’s not very evident. One of the beads has come apart but it is hidden behind the Naja. The beads at the top vary slightly from the the rest so please keep that in mind before purchasing. I have done research on this particular necklace and found several Teddy Goodluck necklaces online with the same exact top beads so there is no way it’s altered. Here is an interview from the Perry Null trading company to give you some more history on the artist. Teddy Goodluck Sr comes from a family of artists. His father Tom Goodluck ranched and made silver for a living. His grandfather Hosteen Goodluck was very important in the early years of Navajo silver and is credited with being instrumental in making this a path for so many artists. However, Teddy didnt start making jewelry until he was in his thirties, but with it so rich in his blood and was going to happen. >What year were you born? Did you know your Grandfather? No, I dont remember him. He might have been around when I was a baby but I dont remember. When did you start making jewelry? In 1971, I was 34 years old. That seems like a late start, coming from a family of silversmiths? After I graduated from Sanders in 1958 I went to work for the Silica Sand company. I was the foreman there for 3 1/2 years. That doesnt get us to the 1970s, what did you do after that? I went to work for the clay mine, same company just a different location. Instead of mining for sand we mined for clay that was used in medicine and cosmetics. How long did you work for them? For 10 1/2 years, then my wife told me it was time to come home. I was having the wrong influence in my life and needed to get away from that environment. So, this is when you start making jewelry? I was home and really didnt know what I was going to do. At the clay mine I had learned lots of skills. There I did a little bit of everything: welding, heavy equipment, just an all-around position. One day I was listening to the radio while working on my 58 Pick-up truck and an advertisement for a silversmith class in Gallup came on the radio. Didnt you already know how to make jewelry? My dad, Tom Goodluck, and uncles William & Frank made jewelry for a living. I always remember seeing them work and the type of stuff they made, but I had never made any jewelry. So you went to a class in Gallup? Yes, it was at the Indian Center, which is gone now. It was taught by Ben Touchine. The first night we just listened and by the second night I realized I knew how to do all of these things from watching my dad and uncles, plus my work experiences that we went back home. How did you start your silver career? I got my last check from the clay mine and took it and bought a torch and tools I needed. Plus my mother had old tools that she gave me to use, I still have them. What do you make? My grandma had this very simple bracelet with one piece of turquoise surrounded by twist wire and stamp work, I copied it. Where did you sell your first piece? He ordered more from us and that kept us busy. How many of these bracelets were you making? We were making 10 12 of these bracelets a day. Rebekah does the stamping, bezel, and design. I do the cutting and soldering, and we both do the polishing. Now that you are making jewelry is this your fulltime job? I was a Grazing Committee Member for the Navajo Tribe, 20 years. I had the area from Lupton to Chambers and would be responsible for the health of the livestock, immunizations, and grazing policies. This kept me busy in the summers, but I was still able to do jewelry. Besides Turneys, who else did you make jewelry for? We did some work for Don Jacobs at Burntwater, Garcia who had stores in New Mexico, Arizona, and California, Jays Indian Art which became Thunderbird Supply. How about your hallmark, the four leaf clover? When we first started making jewelry we didnt use a hallmark. Our buyers started to tells to use a hallmark in the mid 70s, so we used a TG. Then I was thinking about our hallmark at a Pow-Wow in Flagstaff and just thought to use the four leaf clover, goodluck for Goodluck. We started using this new hallmark in the early 1980s. Do you have a memorable piece from all the jewelry you made? A bracelet made for my mother. It had this amazing piece of Persian Turquoise that had this spider web matrix, a big rock. We do a couple of shows a year at the Painted Desert. They have big tour buses come in and we do a jewelry making display. Are the people from all over? One time I had a lady sit with me all day while I made jewelry, she said she just had to learn. All items come from a clean smoke-free home. I love all of my antiques and china dearly and know what it would feel like if I received a broken item. Each one is a unique gem that becomes part of my life until I pass it on to it’s forever home. It’s more than just a business for me. It’s a way of life and a philosophy. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting my mission and passion in life. I couldn’t do what I do without my customers. You are my foundation. I do my best to describe each item accurately. Please contact me if there are any issues with your item and I will work with you to rectify them. The item “Teddy Goodluck Sterling Silver Turquoise Coral Navajo Necklace Squash Blossom” is in sale since Saturday, August 31, 2019. This item is in the category “Jewelry & Watches\Ethnic, Regional & Tribal\Native American\Necklaces & Pendants”. The seller is “angieboho” and is located in Waltham, Massachusetts. This item can be shipped worldwide.
- Country of Origin: United States
- Modified Item: No
- Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
- Material: Sterling Silver
- Ethnic Origin: Native American
- Featured Refinements: Navajo Necklace
- Metal Purity: 925
- Artisan: Teddy Goodluck Sr
- Main Stone: Turquoise
- Metal: Sterling Silver
- Jewelry Type: Necklaces
- Tribal Affiliation: Navajo
