{"product_id":"blue-migration-by-tonya-june-rafael","title":"Blue Migration by Tonya June Rafael","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA naja is supposed to carry the horizon.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis one carries the sky.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTonya 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 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMine No. 8 turquoise\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e become the landscape itself. Brilliant blue rolls across the crescent, interrupted by warm bronze matrix that looks like rivers carving through high desert country.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFor a moment, you almost forget you’re looking at a naja.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYou just see something ready to take flight.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThat’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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe naja has always been a symbol of protection, abundance, and life’s journey.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHere, it feels like the journey itself.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThen you notice one more thoughtful detail.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe bail is removable.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWear 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is what happens when an iconic Southwestern form meets one of Nevada’s most legendary turquoise mines.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe result doesn’t feel old.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt feels timeless.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArtifact Registry\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArtifact Name:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBlue Migration\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArtist:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Tonya June Rafael\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTribe:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Navajo\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMaterials:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSterling Silver\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNatural Mine No. 8 Turquoise\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTechnique:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Hand-fabricated sterling silver naja with individually set Mine No. 8 turquoise cabochons\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeight:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e63.6 grams\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSpecial Feature:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Removable sterling silver bail\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEra:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Contemporary\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHallmarks:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Signed \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTonya J. Rafael\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, Navajo, Sterling\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCollector’s Gallery Value:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e$2,800–$3,400\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEstimated 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eField Observation:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEric’s Notes from the Field\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI’ve always thought the best artists know exactly how much to change.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eToo little, and you’re copying history.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eToo much, and you’ve forgotten why the form mattered in the first place.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis piece lives right in that sweet spot.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt’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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hespera Jewelry Co.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47777404453041,"sku":null,"price":2100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0153\/9641\/files\/AB868532-0159-4685-AC4F-5DEE7C0BD0A9.jpg?v=1785041882","url":"https:\/\/hespera.com\/products\/blue-migration-by-tonya-june-rafael","provider":"Hespera Jewelry Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}