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A Field Guide to Southwest Jewelry · by Mateo James

Squash Blossom Necklace: Symbol, History, and Cross-Cultural Origin

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Squash Blossom Necklace: Symbol, History, and Cross-Cultural Origin

Squash Blossom Necklace · Field Guide · Symbols & Iconography

The squash blossom necklace is among the most recognized forms in Southwest jewelry — and its name is a misnomer. The Diné (Navajo) call the distinctive tri-petal bead yo ne maze disya gi: "the bead that spreads out." The design is not named after a squash plant. Its origins trace a cross-continental arc from Phoenicia and ancient Greece through Moorish Spain, carried to the Southwest on Spanish conquistador bridles, and adopted into Diné and Zuni silversmithing tradition in the nineteenth century.

Mateo's Field Notes

The cross-cultural origin story of the squash blossom necklace is one of jewelry history's most traveled lineages. Pomegranate and floral ornaments with tri-petal forms circulated through Phoenician, Greek, and Roman trade networks before entering Moorish Spain. Spanish conquistadors wore crescent-shaped ornaments — called najas — on their horses' bridles as protective amulets. Diné writer Ungelbah Dávila-Shivers traces the path directly: "The Moors... adopted what would become known as a 'Naja' on their horses' bridles to protect the animal and its rider against 'the evil eye.'" When Spanish colonizers reached the Southwest, Diné smiths observed and eventually incorporated both the tri-petal bead form and the naja crescent into their own silver tradition.

The historical context matters. After the Long Walk (1864–1868), Diné culture was in reconstruction. As Dávila-Shivers writes: "Where prestige and wealth used to come from raiding, it now came from herding and trading. Silverworking became a very important part of this transition." The squash blossom necklace became a prestige object within this new economy — a marker of wealth and identity built on a form that had traveled thousands of miles and hundreds of years. Early coin silver examples from the 1880s are documented in the historical record. Zuni artists later elaborated the form with their characteristic inlay work in the nineteenth century.

Today the necklace is anatomically consistent: the bench-bead chain anchors alternating bead-and-petal pairs (the "blossoms"), with the naja crescent as the centerpiece. Diné elder Carmalie Denetclaw offers the clearest summary of what the naja means within the tradition: "The Naja on the squash blossom should be symbolic to the path of goodness."

Collector's Handbook

  • Anatomy of the necklace: Three components define a true squash blossom — bench-bead chain, blossom side pairs (bead + tri-petal cluster), and the naja crescent centerpiece. All three should be present in an authentic piece.
  • Naja variation: The naja appears in many forms — plain crescent, hands at the tips, a stone-set center, or added dangles. All are variations within the tradition, not corruptions of it.
  • Dating by material: Coin silver pieces with heavy, irregular beads indicate pre-1930s work. Later pieces used commercial silver sheet and wire. The shift in material is a reliable dating marker.
  • Zuni vs. Navajo: Zuni squash blossom necklaces typically feature extensive channel inlay in the blossoms and naja. Navajo pieces are more likely to showcase the silver itself, with turquoise as accent rather than primary surface.

Artists in Our Directory

Browse our Southwest Silversmiths Directory for artists working in the Diné and Zuni squash blossom tradition. View necklaces available at T.Skies necklace collection.

Related

References

  • Dávila-Shivers, Ungelbah. "The Real History of the Squash Blossom Necklace." Diné writer, cited in Southwest jewelry scholarship.
  • Denetclaw, Carmalie (Diné elder). Quoted in Southwest jewelry oral history sources.
  • Rosnek, Carl, and Joseph Stacey. Skystone and Silver: The Collector's Book of Southwest Indian Jewelry. Prentice-Hall, 1976.