Art of Turquoise

A trendsetting arbiter of American country style, Mary Emmerling’s newest passion is turquoise—not just the highly collectible jewelry, but the calming color as well. Lavish photography and clever do-it-yourself ideas make it easy to incorporate her turquoise look in furnishings, kitchens, architecture and more. Art of Turquoise features whole chapters dedicated to bolos, necklaces and jewelry celebrating the art of Native American jewelry.  Hardcover; 112 pages; more than 300 color photographs. 8.5"sq.

Museum Provenance

Turquoise represents happiness, health and luck. Originally used exclusively for Navajo ceremonies and religious rituals, in the late 19th century turquoise began to adorn the jewelry of Navajo silversmiths, the first of whom (Atsidi Sani) learned his craft from a Mexican artisan. Inspired by the exquisite jewelry and textiles in our American Indian Museum’s collections, these beautiful products let you enjoy contemporary southwest fashions.

Every Smithsonian purchase will arrive with a museum provenance card explaining how it is adapted from or inspired by an object or objects in our collection.