{"product_id":"the-royston-procession-vintage-squashblossom","title":"The Royston Procession Vintage Squash Blossom","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOkay, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ethis is the kind of old necklace where I start counting stones and then immediately get distracted because every single one is different.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 😂\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFifteen pieces of vintage Royston turquoise, all living somewhere between that classic Nevada blue-green and pale desert aqua, with matrix ranging from delicate little lines to full landscapes. And instead of trying to make them perfectly identical, the maker let every stone be itself.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe silverwork is fantastic too: twisted wire, stamped borders, old handmade beads, blossom drops, and that long articulated three-stone centerpiece hanging almost like an exclamation point at the bottom.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAt \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e192 grams\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, this is not a polite little vintage turquoise necklace. This is the whole damn event.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWHY THIS PIECE MATTERS\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis necklace preserves something I love about older Southwestern jewelry: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ethe stones dictated the piece.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLook closely and virtually none of these Royston cabochons match perfectly. They shift in shape, matrix and color, yet the silversmith creates continuity through repeated bezels, ropework and blossom forms. The result feels assembled rather than manufactured—individual pieces of turquoise brought together into one coherent object.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe construction is especially interesting because it riffs on the traditional squash blossom vocabulary without simply repeating the standard formula. Instead of a broad horseshoe-shaped naja, the center drops vertically through three articulated turquoise settings. It changes the entire architecture of the necklace and gives it an almost cascading quality.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd the age is visible in all the right places: softened stamping, darkened recesses, mellowed silver and the tiny inconsistencies of genuinely handmade work.\u003c\/span\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 Royston Procession\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMaker:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Unsigned \/ Unknown Native American Silversmith\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Southwestern United States\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMaterials:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Sterling silver, Royston turquoise\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eConstruction:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Hand-fabricated silver, bezel-set cabochons, twisted-wire borders, stamped silverwork, handmade silver beads\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eStone Count:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 15 Royston turquoise cabochons\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeight:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 192 grams\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEra:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Vintage; likely mid-to-late 20th century\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCollector’s Gallery Value:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e$3,900 -$4500\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCURATOR’S FIELD OBSERVATION\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe turquoise is what makes me keep coming back to this one.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis isn’t fifteen pieces cut from one slab to create a uniform suite. You get pale aqua, saturated blue-green, smoky webbing, brown host-rock matrix and almost cloudlike passages of stone. It reads like a miniature survey of Royston rather than a matched set.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe three-stone articulated drop is also a killer detail. It gives the necklace movement and makes the bottom stone swing independently when worn.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition appears consistent with vintage use, with natural oxidation, surface wear and patina retained rather than polished into oblivion.\u003c\/span\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 would \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003enot clean this thing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe oxidation is doing half the visual work. It gives all that twisted wire and stamping dimension and makes the turquoise look even brighter.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAlso: 192 grams. Pick it up and you immediately understand what it is. This was made when somebody was not trying to save twelve cents worth of silver.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBig old Royston, weird naja, handmade everything.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eExactly the kind of vintage piece I hunt for.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hespera Jewelry Co.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47825129308337,"sku":null,"price":2950.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0153\/9641\/files\/8B189660-3DC2-47A0-9FC2-A5E7E0617656.jpg?v=1786119501","url":"https:\/\/hespera.com\/products\/the-royston-procession-vintage-squashblossom","provider":"Hespera Jewelry Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}