JSW550 Silver Naja

Sterling silver Naja pendant. The handmade pendant is 2 7/8” x 2 7/8”.

The word “naja” is the Navajo word for “crescent”. Navajo Indian silversmiths began incorporating the naja design into their jewelry. The Navajo were the main Indian tribe that made the najas, but they were also made by some Pueblo tribes as well.

All-silver najas and necklaces were fashionable in the 1870s among the early Navajo silversmiths who created pieces for their own. This was the beginning of the so-called Classic Period.