A naja is supposed to carry the horizon.
This one carries the sky.
Tonya June Rafael took one of the oldest and most recognizable forms in Southwestern jewelry and gave it a feeling of motion. Instead of asking the turquoise to decorate the silver, she let Mine No. 8 turquoise become the landscape itself. Brilliant blue rolls across the crescent, interrupted by warm bronze matrix that looks like rivers carving through high desert country.
For a moment, you almost forget you’re looking at a naja.
You just see something ready to take flight.
That’s what I love about this piece. It respects tradition without being trapped by it. The familiar crescent is still there—the ancient symbol that has traveled through Moorish, Spanish, Mexican, and Navajo traditions for centuries—but the composition feels unmistakably modern. The sweeping rows of carefully matched Mine No. 8 turquoise give the pendant an energy that’s difficult to explain until you catch yourself following the stones from one side to the other.
The naja has always been a symbol of protection, abundance, and life’s journey.
Here, it feels like the journey itself.
Then you notice one more thoughtful detail.
The bail is removable.
Wear it on a strand of Navajo pearls, leather, or your favorite chain. Remove the bail entirely and it becomes something else—a sculptural centerpiece ready to be reimagined by the collector. It’s a subtle feature, but it’s exactly the kind of craftsmanship that separates jewelry made to wear from jewelry made to live with.
This is what happens when an iconic Southwestern form meets one of Nevada’s most legendary turquoise mines.
The result doesn’t feel old.
It feels timeless.
Artifact Registry
Artifact Name: Blue Migration
Artist: Tonya June Rafael
Tribe: Navajo
Materials:
- Sterling Silver
- Natural Mine No. 8 Turquoise
Technique: Hand-fabricated sterling silver naja with individually set Mine No. 8 turquoise cabochons
Weight: 63.6 grams
Special Feature: Removable sterling silver bail
Era: Contemporary
Hallmarks: Signed Tonya J. Rafael, Navajo, Sterling
Collector’s Gallery Value: $2,800–$3,400
Estimated value for an equivalent work offered through a premier gallery or specialist Native American art dealer. Sculptural Navajo najas featuring genuine Mine No. 8 turquoise are increasingly sought after, particularly examples with beautifully matched stones, substantial silver work, and thoughtful features such as a removable bail. The combination of a classic form and one of America’s most celebrated turquoise deposits gives this piece lasting collector appeal.
Field Observation:
An elegant reinterpretation of the traditional naja, distinguished by exceptionally well-matched Mine No. 8 turquoise and clean, confident silverwork. The removable bail enhances both versatility and collectibility while allowing the uninterrupted sweep of turquoise to remain the visual centerpiece.
Eric’s Notes from the Field
I’ve always thought the best artists know exactly how much to change.
Too little, and you’re copying history.
Too much, and you’ve forgotten why the form mattered in the first place.
This piece lives right in that sweet spot.
It’s unmistakably a naja. Nobody would question that. But it also has a sense of movement that’s completely its own. Your eye follows the turquoise like it’s tracing a river across a map, and before you know it, you’ve stopped thinking about jewelry and started thinking about landscapes.
A naja is supposed to carry the horizon.
This one carries the sky.
Tonya June Rafael took one of the oldest and most recognizable forms in Southwestern jewelry and gave it a feeling of motion. Instead of asking the turquoise to decorate the silver, she let Mine No. 8 turquoise become the landscape itself. Brilliant blue rolls across the crescent, interrupted by warm bronze matrix that looks like rivers carving through high desert country.
For a moment, you almost forget you’re looking at a naja.
You just see something ready to take flight.
That’s what I love about this piece. It respects tradition without being trapped by it. The familiar crescent is still there—the ancient symbol that has traveled through Moorish, Spanish, Mexican, and Navajo traditions for centuries—but the composition feels unmistakably modern. The sweeping rows of carefully matched Mine No. 8 turquoise give the pendant an energy that’s difficult to explain until you catch yourself following the stones from one side to the other.
The naja has always been a symbol of protection, abundance, and life’s journey.
Here, it feels like the journey itself.
Then you notice one more thoughtful detail.
The bail is removable.
Wear it on a strand of Navajo pearls, leather, or your favorite chain. Remove the bail entirely and it becomes something else—a sculptural centerpiece ready to be reimagined by the collector. It’s a subtle feature, but it’s exactly the kind of craftsmanship that separates jewelry made to wear from jewelry made to live with.
This is what happens when an iconic Southwestern form meets one of Nevada’s most legendary turquoise mines.
The result doesn’t feel old.
It feels timeless.
Artifact Registry
Artifact Name: Blue Migration
Artist: Tonya June Rafael
Tribe: Navajo
Materials:
- Sterling Silver
- Natural Mine No. 8 Turquoise
Technique: Hand-fabricated sterling silver naja with individually set Mine No. 8 turquoise cabochons
Weight: 63.6 grams
Special Feature: Removable sterling silver bail
Era: Contemporary
Hallmarks: Signed Tonya J. Rafael, Navajo, Sterling
Collector’s Gallery Value: $2,800–$3,400
Estimated value for an equivalent work offered through a premier gallery or specialist Native American art dealer. Sculptural Navajo najas featuring genuine Mine No. 8 turquoise are increasingly sought after, particularly examples with beautifully matched stones, substantial silver work, and thoughtful features such as a removable bail. The combination of a classic form and one of America’s most celebrated turquoise deposits gives this piece lasting collector appeal.
Field Observation:
An elegant reinterpretation of the traditional naja, distinguished by exceptionally well-matched Mine No. 8 turquoise and clean, confident silverwork. The removable bail enhances both versatility and collectibility while allowing the uninterrupted sweep of turquoise to remain the visual centerpiece.
Eric’s Notes from the Field
I’ve always thought the best artists know exactly how much to change.
Too little, and you’re copying history.
Too much, and you’ve forgotten why the form mattered in the first place.
This piece lives right in that sweet spot.
It’s unmistakably a naja. Nobody would question that. But it also has a sense of movement that’s completely its own. Your eye follows the turquoise like it’s tracing a river across a map, and before you know it, you’ve stopped thinking about jewelry and started thinking about landscapes.
