Sonoran Squash Blossom Necklace

Traditional Southwest jewelry handmade by Silversmith Chad Barela

Sold Out Held in a private collection

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A hand-wrought sterling silver squash blossom necklace strung with substantial beads. Twelve hand-wrought squash blossoms hang from the strand capped with a concho, each a hollow-formed silver bead opening into a fluted petal. The strand closes with a custom hook and eye clasp. At the center hangs a tufa cast Naja pendant, its crescent arms dressed with diagonal hatching along the peak, crowned by a stamped plate set with a round Sonoran Gold turquoise stone, its green face touched with golden-brown matrix, in a hand-filed serrated bezel. Finished throughout with a deep oxidized patina that unifies the strand and gives the whole piece its substantial, old-pawn presence.

Hand-wroughtTufa castMatte finish

Date Made

2023

Stone

Sonoran Gold Turquoise

Metal

Sterling silver

Length

N/A

Stone

Sonoran Gold

Mine

Campitos Mountain

Origin

Cananea, Sonora, Mexico

Mine Status

Active

Stone Story

Sonoran Gold is one of the newer stones to enter the turquoise market, first surfacing around 2019 as a byproduct of copper mining at Campitos Mountain near Cananea in northern Sonora, Mexico. Unlike most turquoise, which forms in veins within host rock, Sonoran Gold occurs as clay-coated nuggets — a geological distinction that gives each stone its own character. The color palette is what sets it apart. A single stone can shift from aqua blue to lime green to bright green, blending across the surface like watercolor. A golden to brown spiderweb matrix runs through it, framing those vivid hues and adding depth. It's expressive material.

Second generation silversmith making heirloom quality jewelry true to Southwest tradition for over a decade. Chad's family has more than 200 years of history in New Mexico and you can see that heritage in his work.

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