Mona Van Riper Bisbee Turquoise Squash Blossom Set with 22oz 18k Gold & VVS Diamonds
$258,700 members price Members only
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Arrives Oct 29 – Nov 5
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Ships from Las Vegas, NV
Made in USA
The Mona Van Riper Bisbee Turquoise Squash Blossom Set is a one-of-a-kind, museum-grade marvel of jewelry artistry, proudly made in the USA by skilled Native American artisans. This exquisite set showcases the pinnacle of craftsmanship and cultural heritage, embodying a fusion of traditional motifs and unparalleled luxury.
Central to this masterpiece is the Bisbee Turquoise, a rare gemstone revered for its deep, intense blue color and intricate matrix patterns. Each stone is carefully selected, ensuring that the turquoise is of the highest quality, offering a captivating visual experience.
The set is meticulously crafted with 22 ounces of the finest 18k gold. This premium gold enhances the beauty of the turquoise with its warm, radiant sheen, forming the base for the intricate squash blossom designs. These designs are not just ornamental but are imbued with cultural significance, representing the rich heritage and artistic legacy of Native American jewelry-making.
Further elevating the set's splendor are the VVS (Very Very Slightly Included) diamonds. These diamonds are near-perfect, with inclusions barely visible even under close inspection, ensuring a brilliance and clarity that is truly breathtaking.
Every aspect of this set, from the selection of materials to the final touches, is handled with the utmost care and precision, making it a unique and museum-worthy piece. Crafted in the USA, it not only symbolizes luxury and beauty but also pays homage to the rich cultural traditions of Native American artisans. This set is an exceptional work of art, designed for those who seek exclusivity and elegance in their jewelry collection.
Details
- Weight
- 2.2 lb (1 kg)
Shipping & returns
Shipping
Items ship via FedEx and USPS. Complimentary worldwide shipping on orders over $99 USD. Freight shipping may experience extended delivery times. All shipments are fully insured.
Returns
We offer a 30-day return period for all items, provided they are returned in their original condition. Customers are responsible for return shipping costs, and any applicable duties and taxes. For all freight items, a 10% restocking fee applies. Terms and conditions apply.
$258,700
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Meet the artist
A piece of a lifetime
Mona Van Riper calls this Bisbee turquoise squash blossom set “a piece of a lifetime.”
Bisbee turquoise · 22 oz 18K gold · VVS diamonds
I.
It started with the turquoise
Bisbee is the rarest turquoise in the world. These stones came out of a vintage squash blossom from the 1970s. Mona bought that piece, took the stones out, and built something new around them.
Before she started, she studied traditional squash blossoms and the work of other artists she admires. She photographed pieces and looked hard at how they were proportioned and put together. Then she set out to make her own.
She calls her style “nouvelle traditional”: traditional forms, redrawn with a contemporary eye.
50
Years at the bench
5
Months of full-time work
1+ lb
Of gold processed by hand
1 of 1
Never to be made again
II.
The secret is in the symmetry
Mona matched the turquoise cabochons by hand and re-cut some of them so the necklace would sit in balance. She photographs every stone before and after cutting.
The stones and blossoms come in three graduated sizes. They get larger as the necklace moves down the body, so it follows the shape of the person wearing it.
III.
She made her own gold
Mona didn’t order sheet gold. She was given coins, scrap and casting grain, and she turned it into usable metal herself. She melted and alloyed it, cast it into small ingots, then hammered the ingots and ran them through her rolling mill until she had sheet. More than a pound of gold went through her hands this way.
She fabricated each bead from that sheet, then soldered and finished the necklace. It took about five months of full-time work, spread over seven months. Partway through, she flew to Bulgaria to take an art class.
IV.
Built to carry the weight
A squash blossom is heavy, and Mona has seen plenty of traditional ones break because the weight wasn’t supported. So she worked out where the load would go before she built anything.
The necklace hangs on multiple strands of Foxtail cable, with tubing and a transition she engineered between them. The Naja is attached with jump rings instead of a rigid joint, so it swings a little when you move.
“Function and form. It has to work or you can’t sell it.”
V.
Look inside the blossoms
Each blossom holds a small Sleeping Beauty turquoise bead. The beads hang loose and move when the necklace does, and most people don’t notice them at first.
Mona laughed when she described them and called the movement “sexy.”
VI.
The earrings and ring
Mona made the earrings first. After the necklace was done, she looked at the turquoise she had left and decided the set needed a ring, so she made one.
The diamonds carry through the earrings and ring, so all three pieces read as one suite.
“How many times in your career do you get to make something that is worth a house?”
VII.
Fifty years at the bench
Mona has been making jewelry since 1976, and she’s still designing and fabricating.
She spent decades away from Taos, including years as a Class IV and V whitewater guide on the Taos Box. She recently moved back. Her own shop is in storage for now, so she works out of a friend’s home, close to some of the artists who influenced her when she was young.
Not long ago she watched an old slideshow her father had made. Looking at those photos, it made sense to her why she makes the jewelry she does. She grew up around people who made beautiful things by hand.
About Mona
Mona is serious about her work and funny about most other things. In one conversation she covered goldsmithing, river running, old friends, the class in Bulgaria, and her plan to get jewelry onto TV news anchors so people can see how it looks when it’s worn.
After fifty years she still sounds excited about jewelry, and she’s still asking what would happen if she tried something a different way.
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Frequently Asked Questions
We ship all orders from our corporate warehouse in Las Vegas, NV, USA.
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We accept returns within 30 days of delivery if the item is in the same condition it arrived.
Yes, we are the preferred vendor of places like the Smithsonian Museum of natural history. We work directly with the miners and archeologists and hand-select every single piece to ensure its quality and authenticity. If requested, we're more than happy to provide a certificate of authenticity; although, most of our smaller crystals come standard with certificates of authenticity.
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