A Rare and highly sought after piece by Zuni artist Alice Quam

A combination Brooch Pendant Hallmarked A Q on back of the pendant

This is a classic Alice Quam Sterling silver, Turquoise Cluster art or "needlepoint" pin/ pendant combination. 

Without chain 

For all the offers requesting just the pendant. I have removed the chain and lowered the price $200. 

Hard to touch an Alice Quam for under $1000

 This was from a private Collectors Estate in Arizona. circa 1960's-70's

Alice made jewelry from around 1945 until her death in 2003. Alice did not start using her hallmark until the 1960s. Then the Pueblo Village started using this sought after Sleeping Beauty turquoise, that is no longer mined, by the 1970s. The natural turquoise was cut and ground Zuni style. Alice Quam was the best at what she did. This technique of cutting the stone largely amounts to the grinding of nuggets in a sculpting operation which seeks to liberate the turquoise deposit from the host rock. This is precise stone cutting technique by cutting small stones for this highly symmetrical composition. Alice was particularly well-known for this style of needlepoint work and is possibly the most famous artist to have ever worked in this style.  Note the finely serrated handmade bezels she used in setting these stones.

 Alice spent hours digging through buckets of rough turquoise to find matching pieces. Then she took the time to hand shape the stones so they would be the perfect size. Alice learned from her parents then taught her  two daughters Lorraine Waatsa and Shirley Quam whose works also sells for over $700

Greg Schaaf wrote of her in his book: "For over 50 years, collectors looking for the best cluster jewelry have beaten a path to the home of Alice Quam. She selects only the best natural turquoise and coral. Her stones are shaped to perfection." (American Indian Jewelry I: 1,200 Artist Biographies, p. 264).

Please google her work and compare at $925 to over $3700 if you can find it.

This had a beautiful patina but in order for me to make sure everything was solid with no defects I had to clean it all then polish. It is ready for you to establish your own patina.

Stones: outer 22 teardrops 10 x 7 mm (1/2"x 1/4"")  second 12 teardrops 9 x 5 mm ( 3/8"x 3/16") 

center round stone 8 mm diameter (1/4") 

total pendant diameter 55 mm or (2 1/4") 

Pendant/Brooch Pin Mechanism & Pendant Eye 27 grams

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