Raymond Yazzie Fossilized Lone Mountain Turquoise Necklace

Raymond Yazzie’s masterpiece is an exquisite necklace that showcases his exceptional craftsmanship and the unique features of Lone Mountain Fossil Turquoise. The necklace features rare fossilized Lone Mountain turquoise and gold inlaid beads. The fossilized turquoise is a unique formation where the turquoise is a testament to the rarity and beauty of this gemstone. Raymond’s meticulous inlay work, including two gold beads with opal, fossil turquoise, coral, and lapis, adds accent color to the deep blue-green fossil necklace, making it a one-of-a-kind piece that truly stands out.

 

Dimensions

20″ 3/8 L

Categories: , ,
Artist:

Raymond Yazzie
Master Navajo Jeweler
Fossilized Lone Mountain Turquoise Necklace

 

About the Artist
Raymond Yazzie (Navajo, b. 1959) is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished contemporary Native American jewelers. Renowned for his extraordinary precision, innovative  inlay work, and architectural sense of design, Yazzie creates pieces that are technically complex and visually powerful. His work seamlessly combines precious materials, traditional motifs, and contemporary artistry, pushing the boundaries of Southwestern jewelry.

Trained within a family of esteemed artists, Raymond developed a meticulous approach that reflects both personal vision and cultural grounding. His work is part of major museum collections, including the Smithsonian Institution, and is highly sought after by collectors for its refinement, balance, and bold design.

The Significance of Turquoise
Turquoise is one of the most culturally important and visually celebrated stones in Native American jewelry. Valued for its protective qualities, spiritual symbolism, and natural beauty, turquoise has been used in adornment, trade, and ceremony for thousands of years.

Across the American Southwest—particularly in Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico—turquoise mining has yielded some of the finest specimens known. Among these, Lone Mountain Turquoise stands out for its brilliant color, fine matrix, and stability. Even rarer is the formation known as Fossilized Turquoise, in which the gemstone replaces organic matter—an occurrence both scientifically and visually remarkable.

Fossilized Lone Mountain Turquoise
The turquoise featured in this necklace is not only beautiful but also paleontologically rare. These stones formed within crinoid fossils, ancient marine animals that lived during the Pennsylvanian Period, roughly 298 to 323 million years ago. Over millennia, calcite within the segmented stems of crinoids was gradually replaced by turquoise—a rare geological transformation that left behind fossilized turquoise bearing the distinct imprint of prehistoric life.

This type of formation is exceedingly uncommon. Unlike most turquoise, which forms in host rock, fossil turquoise grows in place of ancient biological material. It is incredibly rare to find enough matching fossil segments to create a full strand—making this necklace a true masterwork of natural history and human artistry.

The Necklace
Raymond Yazzie’s necklace is a testament to the rare union of nature’s artistry and human craftsmanship. Featuring an elegant strand of fossilized Lone Mountain turquoise, this piece is accented with 14k gold inlaid beads, two of which are masterfully inlaid with opal, fossil  turquoise, lapis, and coral—signature materials in Yazzie’s palette.

The precision and balance in this necklace speak to Yazzie’s unmatched skill as a jeweler. Every bead is perfectly calibrated in size and composition, creating a visual rhythm that honors both the ancient origins of the material and the artist’s contemporary vision. The combination of turquoise and gold, fossil and fire, tradition and innovation results in a one-of-a-kind necklace that belongs equally in a fine art collection or museum setting.

A Masterpiece of Art, Culture, and Geology
This necklace is more than a piece of jewelry—it is a conversation between earth and time, between cultural legacy and individual expression. With its rare materials and flawless execution, this work by Raymond Yazzie stands as a remarkable tribute to the living tradition of Native American jewelry and the deep stories embedded in stone.