Navajo Persian Turquoise Bracelet - Derrick Gordon (#20)
$700.00
Artist: Derrick Gordon
Navajo Jewelry
Inner Circumference: 5"
Opening: 1"
Total: 6"
Width: 1 1/4"
Turquoise has deep roots in the Southwest. Many people, however, do not realize that turquoise has an even deeper foundation in Persia. This brilliantly green stone chosen by Derrick Gordon comes from the boarder lands of what we currently call Iran. It is handsomely set in a burnished cuff, bringing out its history and color. Derrick knows how to showcase fabulous stones. See what we mean!
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Persian Turquoise
In the Southwest, we tend to take turquoise for granted; yet it has been labeled the “Gemstone of the Centuries”. Over 7,500 years ago, slave convoys were sent into the Sinai Peninsula to pluck pieces of the blue gem from the rocks where it had formed. In ancient Egypt, turquoise was believed to have mystical powers and appeared in amulets and talisman representing their gods Amum and Isis. A gold and carved turquoise bracelet was found on the mummified arm of Queen Zer, a ruler during the first dynasty of Egyptian pharaohs. The four bracelets found in her burial are the earliest known examples of precious metal jewelry.
The Middle East emerged as the great purveyor of turquoise, supplying the ancient Egyptians, Nubians, Greeks and Romans. It is believed the name was derived from the French word, Turquie, a reference to the Turkish traders first bringing the rich blue stones to the European continent. It was assumed that the brilliant blue and green stones originated in Turkey when, in fact, they were most likely extracted from mines in the Sinai Peninsula and the Alimersai Mountain in Persia (Iran).
About the artist:
At the age of nineteen, Derrick Gordon sat down at the bench with his uncle, Delbert Gordon, and a promising new career was launched. Derrick was born and raised in Gallup, New Mexico. He came into this world in 1971, but it was not until 1990 that he began to bless us with his unique style of Navajo silver jewelry.
Related legends:
Precious Stones
Turquoise; Precious stones have symbolic implications. For example, turquoise if a "collective term for all the precious stones, wealth, or mixed offerings. Good fortune is attributed to this stone." Both white shell and turquoise are emphasized in Kinaalda? More about this legend