{"product_id":"liberty-reimagined-vintage-mercury-dime-navajo-pearl-necklace-necklace","title":"Liberty Reimagined - Vintage Mercury Dime Navajo Pearl Necklace","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEvery generation leaves its fingerprints on silver.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSometimes those fingerprints are engraved.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSometimes they’re hammered.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd sometimes… they’re already there.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLong before these Mercury dimes became jewelry, they were ordinary pocket change. They passed through grocery stores, train stations, cafés, and countless hands across America before an artist saw something entirely different—not coins, but possibilities.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOne by one, each dime was carefully domed, paired, soldered, and transformed into sculptural hollow beads. What had once been currency became architecture. The familiar profile of Liberty didn’t disappear; it became part of the texture itself, quietly revealing fragments of history from bead to bead.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe result is wonderfully understated.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNo turquoise.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNo dramatic centerpiece.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNo ornament competing for your attention.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJust an uninterrupted strand of handcrafted Mercury dime beads that celebrates the beauty of craftsmanship itself.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt takes confidence to leave well enough alone.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis necklace does exactly that.\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\u003eLiberty, Reimagined\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMaker:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Unknown\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTribe\/Origin:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Likely Navajo\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEra:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Vintage, circa 1950s–1970s\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMaterials:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Sterling silver Mercury dimes (1916–1945), sterling silver findings\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLength:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 22 inches\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eConstruction:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Individually hand-domed Mercury dimes, soldered into hollow bench-made beads and strung with graduated handmade sterling silver spacers and hand-fabricated hook-and-eye clasp.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Excellent vintage condition with rich, natural patina.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCollector’s Gallery Value:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e$3800-$4200\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEstimated gallery offering price for an exceptional vintage Mercury dime bead necklace presented through a premier Native American art gallery.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eField Observation\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMercury dime bead necklaces represent one of the most ingenious developments in Southwestern silversmithing. Rather than melting historic U.S. coinage, artists transformed individual Mercury dimes into hollow beads by hand-doming and soldering each coin into sculptural forms. The resulting “coin beads” became a distinctive variation of the handmade Navajo pearl, preserving the coin’s original imagery while creating a bold, wearable strand. Vintage examples from the mid-20th century are increasingly sought after for the labor involved in their construction and the fascinating intersection of American numismatic history and Native silversmithing. Comparable vintage Mercury dime bead necklaces from the 1950s and 1960s continue to be offered by specialist dealers as high-end collector pieces.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\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 love jewelry that asks you to slow down.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAt first glance, this is just a great silver necklace.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThen you notice Liberty’s face.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThen another.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThen another.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSuddenly you realize every single bead began as a coin that once belonged to someone else.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere’s something poetic about that.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHistory doesn’t disappear.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSometimes it just changes shape.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hespera Jewelry Co.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47722946691249,"sku":null,"price":3200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0153\/9641\/files\/Liberty_Reimagined_-_Vintage_Mercury_Dime_Navajo_Pearl_Necklace.webp?v=1784579094","url":"https:\/\/hespera.com\/products\/liberty-reimagined-vintage-mercury-dime-navajo-pearl-necklace-necklace","provider":"Hespera Jewelry Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}