Necklace, Federico, Squash Blossom, Turquoise, Mini, Hallmark, Contemporary, 1933

A MASTER OF EVERYDAY ELEGANCE. 

Contemporary collaborating artisan Federico Jimenez has a way of working with sleek, simplistic designs that are easy to wear and impossible to ignore. This gorgeous necklace is a scaled-down squash boasting 20 mini “bumblebee” blossoms each comprised of 4 turquoise stones set in simple silver bezels accented with tiny rope and drop details. The central naja is a chic 12-stone semi-circle of complementing cabochons. It’s demure enough for daily wear and elegant enough for evening.

Federico Jiménez (1941 -; Mexican). Born in Tututepec, Mexico; lives and works in Southern California. Designer and maker of bold southwestern style jewelry; cluster work.

Mark: F J (conjoined)

Born in 1941, jewelry artisan Federico Jimenez has long had an appreciation for Native American culture and craftsmanship. Originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, Federico came to the United States in 1967 to work and go to school, where he studied jewelry making and design. In 1970, he and his wife Ellen Belber Jimenez traveled throughout the Southwest, where they first fell in love with the Native American and southwestern aesthetic. They became connoisseurs of folk art, and amassed a collection of Native American, Latin American, and Mexican antiques, jewelry, and housewares, opening a series of galleries in southern California. Formerly a trustee of the Millicent Rogers Museum in Taos, and The Southwest Indian Museum in Los Angeles, Federico now resides in Venice, California, where his primary focus is designing his jewelry.

• artist: Federico Jimenez
• hallmarks: conjoined F J, STERLING
• materials: sterling silver, turquoise
• dimensions: naja: 1 1/2", length: 16", total length: 9 1/2"
• weight: 57 grams
• closure: open box
• contemporary
• style: JN1933