Vintage Navajo Sterling Silver Turquoise Ring — Nelson Family Silversmiths

Built the old way — heavy silver, real stone, and no shortcuts.

This vintage Navajo ring features a bold natural turquoise cabochon set in solid sterling silver and stamped NELSON. Rather than referring to a single artist, the Nelson stamp is associated with the Nelson family of Navajo silversmiths, a lineage of craftsmen active primarily in the mid-to-late 20th century who produced high-quality traditional jewelry for trading posts and regional markets throughout the Southwest.

The ring showcases classic Navajo construction: a hand-twisted rope bezel framing a richly colored turquoise stone with natural brown matrix, and a wide split shank deeply hand-stamped with sunburst and fan motifs — symbols long associated with protection, strength, and the desert sun.

This is not mass-produced tourist jewelry. It is solid, well-balanced, and made to last — the kind of ring that gains character with wear and tells its story over time.

This ring is priced for what it is, not what it pretends to be — a genuine piece of Navajo silverwork signed NELSON, a mark tied to a respected family of silversmiths whose work has been worn, traded, and passed down across the Southwest for decades. The sterling is solid, the turquoise is real and naturally matrixed, and every detail was shaped by hand, not poured into a mold. Pieces like this don’t come from factories or catalogs; they come from benches, hands, and lived experience. The price reflects honest materials, traditional craftsmanship, and the quiet rarity of jewelry made to endure — not to impress for a season, but to earn its place over time.

Details:
- Vintage Navajo ring
- Solid sterling silver
- Natural turquoise cabochon with visible matrix
- Maker’s mark: NELSON (Nelson family of Navajo silversmiths)
- Ring size: 6.25
- Weight: approximately 0.4 ounces

Jack Gringo Says: A true Southwest classic — honest silver, real turquoise, and traditional Navajo craftsmanship. Made to be worn, not kept in a drawer.