Navajo Sterling Silver Squash Blossom Necklace

This is a wonderful Native American squash blossom necklace. It has five "squashes" in the Kachina pattern on sterling silver beads plus a sixth Kachina "squash" that dangles further down in the center. The necklace features mother of pearl, turquoise, onyx, spiny oyster shell and coral. It measures approximately 18 inches end to end. Made with meticulous skill, each piece of the Kachina is inlaid into the mother of pearl. All stones are secure in place. It is a vintage piece from the 1970s and has the patina that goes along with its age. It has been stored in a sterling protective bag for years and was rarely worn. I believe the piece was made by Roland Hogan Begay, a renowned Navajo artisan. The initials RHB are stamped lightly in the bottom dangling "squash" and are hard to see without a magnifier. However, it greatly resembles other Begay pieces that have been verified. A truly unique piece of Native American craftsmanship!