Turquoise and Opal Sterling Silver Inlaid Slider Pendant.

This Turquoise and Opal Sterling Silver Pendant is a sensational and colorful piece of hand crafted southwestern jewelry. This pendant comes from Albuquerque, New Mexico. It features lost wax designs of shimmering Sterling Silver. This fine pendant also features traditional inlaid designs made from hand cut stones of genuine Turquoise and lab Blue Opal . The cool blue hues of the Turquoise and Opal beautifully compliment the white shine of the Sterling Silver. Suspended from a complimentary chain. This slider pendant is 3/4" long.

Turquoise is a valuable mineral and is possibly the most valuable, non-transparent mineral in the jewelry trade. It has been mined for eons since at least 6000 BC. by early Egyptians. Its history also includes beautiful ornamental creations by Native Americans and Persians. Its popularity is still quite strong today. Although crystals of any size are rare, some small crystals have been found in Virginia and elsewhere. Most specimens are crypto crystalline, meaning that the crystals could only be seen by a microscope. The finest turquoise comes from Iran but is challenged by some southwestern United States specimens. The name comes from a French word, which means stone of Turkey, from where Persian material passed on its way to Europe.