🩵 SOUTHWESTERN STERLING SILVER & TURQUOISE SLAB STATEMENT EARRINGS — NANCY ELBY COLLECTION 🩵
An extraordinary, exceptionally substantial pair of Southwestern sterling silver and turquoise statement earrings featuring enormous, individually shaped turquoise slabs suspended beneath bold, three-dimensional sculptural silver post tops.
Measuring approximately 2.66–2.70 inches in total drop and weighing an impressive 36.92 grams (1.302 ounces) as a pair, these are remarkable pieces of statement jewelry with tremendous visual presence.
The sculptural silver tops resemble organically shaped, polished river stones or weathered silver boulders, with irregular contours, individually formed depressions, and substantial three-dimensional profiles. Suspended beneath them are two exceptionally large, polished turquoise slabs displaying brilliant sky-blue and greenish-blue coloration, intricate natural-looking matrix, and fascinating mineral inclusions.
I acquired these earrings from an individual in Phoenix, Arizona, who represented them as coming from the collection of the late Nancy Elby.
The earrings were represented to me as Native American jewelry. However, because they are unsigned and their maker and tribal origin have not been independently established, I am conservatively offering them as Southwestern sterling silver and turquoise jewelry, without attributing them to a particular artist, tribe, or period.
Their unusual construction, considerable weight, striking turquoise, and reported collection history make them an especially interesting pair for collectors and admirers of distinctive Southwestern silverwork.
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🩵 NANCY ELBY COLLECTION PROVENANCE
These earrings carry an intriguing reported Southwestern collecting history.
I acquired them from an individual in Phoenix, Arizona, who identified them as having come from the late Nancy Elby.
Nancy Elby was a longtime figure in the American Indian art, Southwestern antiques, and Western collecting community. Based in Phoenix, she exhibited under the name “The Good Stuff” at the High Noon Western Americana show and was also an exhibitor at Santa Fe’s Whitehawk Antique Indian & Ethnographic Art Show, an established event associated with historic Native American and ethnographic material.
Preserving the earrings’ reported chain of ownership was important to me:
Nancy Elby → Phoenix individual → current owner
This history is based upon information supplied by the individual from whom I acquired the earrings. Independent documentary provenance has not been established.
The collection history is not being used to establish a particular maker, Native American tribal origin, turquoise mine, or date of manufacture.
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🩵 EXTRAORDINARY TURQUOISE SLABS
The centerpiece of each earring is a large, individually shaped, polished turquoise slab.
These are not small conventional cabochons. They are substantial, freeform, dimensional stones, drilled near their upper edges and suspended directly from silver connecting wires.
The stones display a fascinating combination of:
• Brilliant sky-blue and vivid turquoise-blue coloration
• Subtle greenish-blue and sea-green areas
• Intricate brown, tan, gray, and darker mineral matrix
• Branching, web-like veins and irregular matrix formations
• Grayish, somewhat translucent or crystalline-looking mineral areas
• Scattered reflective, metallic-looking inclusions
• Individually shaped, softly rounded outlines and edges
The turquoise has remarkable visual depth and variation. The intricate matrix formations differ considerably between the two stones, giving each slab its own distinctive appearance.
Certain areas contain reflective mineral-looking particles and grayish inclusions that are especially interesting under magnification. Their precise mineral composition has not been professionally determined.
The turquoise mine of origin is unknown. No specific mine attribution, including Morenci, Royston, or any other source, is being claimed.
The stones have not been professionally gemologically tested, and no laboratory determination has been made regarding natural versus stabilized or otherwise treated turquoise.
Please examine the detailed photographs, which document the stones’ coloration, matrix, polished surfaces, edges, thickness, and drilled openings.
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🩵 SCULPTURAL SILVERWORK & CONSTRUCTION
The earrings feature exceptionally unusual three-dimensional silver post tops.
Each upper silver component has an organic, asymmetrical shape reminiscent of a smooth, weathered stone, with rounded contours and individually formed depressions across its polished surface.
One silver top is relatively broad and rounded, while the other has a more elongated, tapered profile.
These differences are especially apparent when the earrings are viewed side by side.
The silver surfaces display numerous subtle details, including small depressions, irregular contours, fine working marks, and individually differing surface characteristics.
The reverse of each top consists of a relatively flat silver backplate with an attached pierced-ear post and a lower opening through which the connecting wire passes.
The substantial, dimensional construction is consistent with fabricated hollow-form silverwork, although the precise fabrication method has not been independently established.
Each turquoise slab is drilled near its upper edge and suspended by a substantial silver wire connection.
The wires pass through openings in the silver tops and the turquoise slabs, creating an exposed, articulated connection that allows the lower stones to move.
The side-profile photographs are particularly revealing, showing the substantial thickness of the turquoise and the three-dimensional depth of the silver tops.
The two earrings are clearly related in design but are not mechanically identical. Their individual shapes, surface details, and proportions contribute significantly to their distinctive character.
Both earrings are unsigned, and no specific maker attribution is being claimed.
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🧪 STERLING SILVER — JSP TESTED
The sculptural silver components and connecting wires are unmarked.
I personally performed non-invasive JSP scratch-stone silver testing on the accessible silver components, including the sculptural tops and connecting wires.
A small amount of metal was transferred from inconspicuous areas onto a JSP testing stone. Silver-testing solution was then applied exclusively to the resulting metal streaks on the testing stone.
No testing acid touched the earrings at any time.
The tested metal produced immediate, vivid blood-red reactions consistent with sterling silver according to the JSP testing scale.
The reactions remained blood red throughout the five-minute observation period before the tests were discarded.
The earrings are therefore being identified as sterling silver based upon these consistent JSP scratch-stone test results.
Butterfly backs:
• One butterfly back is stamped “ST. SIL.”
• The other butterfly back is unmarked but is identified as sterling silver.
The butterfly backs are included with the earrings as photographed.
The earrings have not been professionally XRF tested or laboratory assayed. Scratch-stone testing supports the sterling identification but does not independently certify an exact silver fineness.
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📏 MEASUREMENTS & WEIGHT
Earring #1:
• Total drop: approximately 67.45 mm
• Total drop in inches: approximately 2.656 inches
• Individual weight: 17.41 grams
• Individual weight in ounces: approximately 0.614 ounces
Earring #2:
• Total drop: approximately 68.55 mm
• Total drop in inches: approximately 2.699 inches
• Individual weight: 19.51 grams
• Individual weight in ounces: approximately 0.688 ounces
Combined weight:
• 36.92 grams
• 1.302 ounces
These are exceptionally substantial earrings, with each earring weighing approximately 17–20 grams individually.
IMPORTANT WEARABILITY NOTE: Because of their considerable individual weights, these are genuinely heavy statement earrings and may not be suitable for individuals who prefer lightweight jewelry or have sensitive or stretched piercings. Please consider the individual weights carefully before purchasing.
The two earrings differ slightly in length, weight, silver-top shape, and turquoise-slab proportions.
All measurements are approximate.
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🩵 PIERCED POSTS & STERLING SILVER BUTTERFLY BACKS
Both earrings feature pierced-ear posts attached to the reverse of their sculptural silver tops.
The posts appear intact, and the earrings retain their silver butterfly backs.
One butterfly back bears the “ST. SIL.” stamp, while the other is unmarked but identified as sterling silver.
The posts, connecting wires, and suspended turquoise components appear securely attached, with no apparent breakage or detached components.
The connecting wires are substantial rather than delicate, complementing the unusually heavy construction of the earrings.
The earrings have been carefully examined by hand and feel exceptionally solid and sturdy.
No claim is being made that the earrings are indestructible; as with any jewelry incorporating drilled stone components, they should be handled and stored with appropriate care.
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🔎 CONDITION
Very good pre-owned condition, with beautiful evidence of individual fabrication, handling, and wear.
These are exceptionally substantial earrings that have been carefully examined by hand. Both feel solid and structurally sound, with no looseness, obvious weak spots, or apparent breaks in their silver construction.
The sculptural silver tops remain intact and retain their impressive three-dimensional forms.
The silver displays fine scratches, scuffs, scattered small pits, surface depressions, localized discoloration, naturally developed patina, darker recessed areas, and visible working and construction marks.
Some depressions and irregularities are integral to the sculptural design, while other surface marks are consistent with handling, fabrication, or previous wear.
The flat silver backplates also show scratches, small surface irregularities, solder evidence, and other details that have been deliberately documented in close-up photographs.
Both pierced posts remain attached.
The silver connecting wires remain intact and securely engage the silver tops and drilled turquoise slabs.
The turquoise slabs retain their striking blue and greenish-blue coloration, polished surfaces, substantial thickness, and distinctive matrix patterns.
The stones display natural-looking mineral inclusions, irregular matrix boundaries, fine surface lines, and localized variations in texture. These features should not automatically be interpreted as damage.
Upon visual examination, I have not identified any obvious major cracks, breaks, or loose sections in either turquoise slab. The areas surrounding the drilled openings have been photographed extensively.
No professional microscopic or gemological fracture assessment has been performed.
The earrings are not being represented as flawless, mint, or free from every microscopic imperfection.
Their individual differences, surface characteristics, and substantial construction are important aspects of their appearance and character.
Nothing has been intentionally concealed in the photography. Numerous extreme close-ups have been included so prospective buyers can carefully evaluate the turquoise, silverwork, backs, posts, connecting wires, drilled openings, surface marks, and overall condition.
Please review all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the description.
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📸 PHOTOGRAPHY
All 24 listing photographs were taken outdoors between approximately 3–4 PM, in natural daylight beneath overcast skies with sunlight diffused by cloud cover.
These lighting conditions were chosen to document the brilliant blue and greenish-blue turquoise, intricate matrix formations, substantial silverwork, natural surface characteristics, and overall condition as accurately as possible.
The turquoise exhibits considerable natural variation in color, with areas ranging from vivid sky blue to softer greenish-blue tones.
The silver is highly reflective, and its apparent brightness, darkness, surface reflections, and luster can vary depending upon the surrounding environment, angle of view, and lighting conditions.
Extreme macro photographs magnify tiny surface scratches, polishing lines, tool marks, pits, solder details, mineral inclusions, matrix boundaries, and other minute characteristics considerably beyond their normal appearance to the unaided eye.
Some macro photographs also reveal very fine parallel surface lines on the polished turquoise, along with irregular mineral and matrix textures.
Color, depth, saturation, brightness, contrast, and apparent stone coloration may vary somewhat according to individual device displays, screen settings, and viewing environments.
The colors of the earrings and stones have not been digitally altered in any way.
A 1934 Mercury dime is included in selected photographs strictly for visual size comparison and is not included in the sale.
Additional photographs or video are gladly available upon request.
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📦 SHIPPING
• Ships same or next business day
• FREE USPS Ground Advantage within the United States
• Fully insured with tracking
• Carefully and securely packaged
• Ships in a sturdy cardboard box — never a bubble mailer
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🌎 INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING
• FREE through eBay International Shipping
OR
• USPS Priority Mail International
• Flat rate: $48.95
• Insurance and tracking included
Buyer is responsible for any customs duties, VAT, brokerage fees, tariffs, taxes or other import charges imposed by their country.
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🤝 OFFERS & RETURNS
All serious offers considered.
All sales are final unless the item has been grossly misrepresented.
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🩵 A REMARKABLE PAIR OF SOUTHWESTERN STATEMENT EARRINGS 🩵
With their dramatic 2.66–2.70-inch drops, extraordinary 36.92-gram combined weight, sculptural silver tops, and enormous individually shaped turquoise slabs, these earrings possess a character and presence that are difficult to overlook.
The contrast between the organic, polished silver forms and the richly patterned turquoise creates an especially compelling design—bold, unconventional, and unmistakably substantial.
Their distinctive construction, individually differing details, and carefully preserved surface characteristics make them fascinating pieces to examine from every angle.
Their reported history within the Nancy Elby collection adds another interesting dimension to an already unusual pair of Southwestern earrings.
Offered with their remarkable visual character, honest condition, and reported collecting history carefully documented. 🩵