ANDY CADMAN Navajo S Silver #8 Edgar Turquoise Squash SORRY, NO FREE SHIPPING ON INTERNATIONAL ORDERS US ONLY Start Price USD 3,399.95 Current Price USD 3,399.95 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Tuesday, November 11, 2008 End Time Friday, November 21, 2008 Location Topeka, Kansas See more about 'ANDY CADMAN Navajo S Silver #8 Edgar Turquoise Squash' Description SORRY - NO FREE SHIPPING ON INTERNATIONAL ORDERS -- FREE SHIPPING FOR US ORDERS ONLY! Buy this item and all others ship FREE as well (buyer pays insurance only on other items.) How things change. Just three years ago when silver was $5.80 an ounce, you could buy a nice $600.00 (southwest retail price then) contenporary domestic turquoise squash necklace on ebay -- albeit a mass produced one -- for between $280.00 and $300.00. That style and weight of squash isn't even made any more in this country (hint, hint!), but if it were, with silver fluctuating between $18.00 and $21.00 per ounce, you'd be paying at least $850.00 to $900.00. So for the most part, the sub $500.00 Navajo made squashes being made today are of necessity shorter, have fewer blossoms, less decoration. and utilize light gauge sterling silver. Although it's difficult to predict any market, with the China and India driving up the price of sterling silver, silver isn't likely to cost less in the future unless market conditions that can't presently be foreseen now change. Some analysts are even predicting stelring silver will be well over $100.00 an ounce by 2009. So with this background in mind, I offer a highly collectible full size squash by well known Navajo artist  Anderson (Andy) Cadman that isn't like so many of the ones made before the silver price explosion, but rather infinitely better. This is an heirloom necklace in every sense of the word. This 27" long squash necklace as laid end to end (the naja adds another 2 and 3/8ths" to the overalll length when worn) features old, rare, and valuable natural #8 Edgar turquoise from the Golden Age of southwestern turquoise. Each true robin's egg blue stone displays a magnificent golden spiderweb matrix characteristic of the highest grade of #8. Instead of having just eight or ten blossoms and very minimal najas like many of the least expensive Navajo made squashes do, this beauty is a throwback to the good old days and features sixteen hand crafted blossoms with sixteen freeform graduated #8 Edgar turquoise stones. Their size ranges from approximately 7/16ths" by 5/16ths" at the top to about 9/16ths" by 7/16ths" at the bottom exclusive of the stones in the naja. The naja boasts as total of twelve freeform stones of similar size, with one #8 spiderweb stone suspended in a miniature blossom design in the center. It measures 2 and 3/8ths" by 2 and 3/8ths." The squash necklace is multicultural creation whose history spans spans many centuries. The traditional Navajo cluster squash necklace with traditional 'blossoms' has its design origins not the sands of a southwestern desert but in the deserts of the middle east and the Middle Ages in Europe. For example, the naja is a crescent moon symbol which is a common symbol even today in the middle east. The Moors brought this and other designs with them when they invaded and occupied Spain for several centuries, and when the Spanish Conquistador/Invader Coronado explored the American southwest in search of gold and converts, the crescent moon or naja design had found its way onto the martengales of Coronado's horses. So the squash necklace incorporates timeless designs than span more than 1,000 years and many different cultures. The Navajo are opportunistic artists (in the best sense of the word) and have easily adapted and adopted designs and symbols from other cultures for their art. The corn plant repoussé blossoms whose historical design origin draws their inspiration from the fleur-de-lis metal work also observed in Spanish metal work. Other blossom designs on other necklace commonly originated with the pomegranate design that originated in as the emblem of Granada, a city in Spain. Repoussés are three dimensional designs created from molds. To create the corn plant design in the blossoms, Andy used two rainbow repoussés and one teardrop repoussé. Each blossom measures 3" long and about 13/16ths" wide. The fancy, mirror polished Navajo beads have an equatorial diameter of ½."  If you're a collector of the finest in rare, classic southwestern turquoise, then you're likely familiar with Old #8 or Edgar turquoise. The #8 mine has a fascinating and colorful history and has had at least seven different ownerships since it was discovered by a Carlin, Nevada barber in 1925. Some owners did nothing with the mine while others mined a little medium grade turquoise most of which went to the Native American jewelry trade. It wasn't, however, until after the five Edgar brothers bought the mine that it's full potential was realized. The easy to access veins of turquoise had mostly played out when they bought the mine so they hired a bulldozer to dig a trench. And what a fantastic decision that turned out to be when they gigantic nodules of the finest quality spiderweb turquoise ever found in Nevada with the possible exception of Lander Blue. The famous Zuni artist, C.F. Wallace, (whose descendants make fine Zuni jewelry) bought a nine pound stone for $1600.00 which was a small fortune and an unheard price at that time. The largest nodule found in this profitable little trench weighed in at 150 lbs., and I believe at one time it was on display in a New Mexico shop. It is from this cache of highly collectible, now quite expensive, and high grade multi hued robin's egg blue spiderweb nodules that the three natural #8 stones in this work of art comes from. So if you won't settle for a mass produced, light weight squash and have been in the market for a quality squash necklace with highly collectible turquoise, this could be around your necklace in just a few business days :-) Please help GOOD ebay Native American jewelry sellers remain in business -- sellers who actually care about you, the jewelry, and the artists to furnish you with enough information to make an intelligent, informed buying decision. This includes dimensions, sizes, and information about the artist, the stones when applicable and other details that help ensure your satisfaction. Those who are in a race to the bottom are severely damaging the business and the artists! On ebay, in the end you get what you pay for. The most expensive things you can buy often began as the cheapest. No foreign knockoffs, no seconds, no stolen merchandise, no plastic, no silver plate or nickel silver, and no 'refurbished' merchandise sold here! Andy Cadman's hallmark and sterling stamp are back of the naja. Payment is expected no later than ten days after your purchase. Questions: Questions about this item only, please, from serious buyers only and NO questions that are answered in the product description. Most of the questions I receive have nothing to do with the item or are answered in the product description. I don't accept offers (see below), do free appraisals, free research, put members in touch with artists, sell wholesale, or take custom orders so please don't email me about these issues, out of idle curiosity, or questions not pertaining to the item. Pricing: Unlike many other ebay sellers, I don’t over inflate listing prices on the first one or two listings and then cut the price on subsequent listings to fool buyers into think they’re getting a hot deal or a “sale“ item. My prices are fair and firm, I don’t negotiate lower prices on or off ebay, and I don’t accept Best Offers which are seller killers. Please respect this. Anyone submitting an offer or asking for an additional discount may be blocked and reported to ebay. Extra Photos: Please remember that people buy millions of dollars’ worth of products each month in this country from catalogues where generally there’s only one photograph and about three short descriptive lines. Sorry, no additional photos are available for this item. CORRECT Email Address: Your ISP’s or your email’s spam filter can and sometimes does prevent delivery of many emails. If you don’t hear from me, this is probably why so please don‘t think you’re being ignored because every purchase and payment is acknowledged. If you don’t hear from me, please check your span/trash directory. Making Smart Buying Choices: Remember, choose wisely. Save for a while if necessary to buy the best pieces you can possibly afford. Don’t just spend money, invest it in good quality items that have possible future investment potential. It's against federal law to misrepresent foreign made jewelry as Native American. Protect this investment and assure the Native American authenticity of your purchases by requiring a Certificate of Authenticity. Be wary of items with many bids -- especially when the bidding exceeds $200.00, and ebay hides the bidders‘ identities. The truth is that there isn’t enough traffic anymore in the Native American jewelry category to generate lots of bids on most items, and sellers you wouldn‘t expect routinely engage in shill bidding practices. Be skeptical of sellers who say they’ve signed some vague paper with an anonymous third party to accurately represent their items. Ebay has no such requirement. With Fixed Price listings and No Second Chance Offers that are responsible for most fraud against buyers, shilling is impossible. You can have confidence the buyer is a legitimate buyer -- not me under a different ID and not any associates engaging in a fraudulent shill bidding scheme to drive prices up. Authenticity and Provenance: This is a new rather than a previously owned item, and a Certificate of Authenticity guaranteeing its Native American origin is included. The jewelry I sell isn’t stolen (ebay is a leading venue for stolen merchandise and, yes, some of what you see in the Native American jewelry category is stolen), and the artists and traders have been all paid so you needn’t worry about the police knocking on your door or any letters from attorneys. Everything but pawn sterling silver jewelry and stone necklaces are cleaned and polished with tarnish retardant polish before shipping so that it arrives looking sparkling clean and odor free. Buy Only Authentic Native American Jewelry: If you care whether the jewelry you buy is authentic Native American, please click on the View Seller's Other Items link in the box at the top of the page at right. A substantial percentage of the jewelry offered in the Native American category is actually made in China, the Philippines, India, Indonesia, the Middle East, Mexico, and elsewhere and then misrepresented as Navajo or Zuni. Two-thirds of all so-called Native American jewelry sold in this country is fake, and a lot of it is sold on ebay by sellers who should know better both in terms of the law, good ethics, and knowledge about the true origins of their products. Multiple Item Shipping: For your convenience and savings, multiple jewelry purchases purchased within a 10 day period can be shipped together Priority Mail -- just please let me know when you begin buying. Your new jewelry will be carefully packed by people who care whether your hand made jewelry art arrives in the same condition it was when shipped because it deserves to be properly protected. On international orders, some items can be combined for fixed rate shipping, and others can’t. Please email me if you a question about multiple item international shipping. U.S. Domestic Shipping and Insurance: Same day USPS Priority Mail shipping with 2-3 business day delivery and FREE delivery confirmation except weekends, holidays, unplanned events like doctors‘ appointments and illness, dangerous weather, and buying trips from a non-smoker on receipt of payment before 3 pm Central Time. I require Post Office internally trackable insurance on all shipments to protect you against Post Office loss or damage because delivery and signature confirmation are NOT true tracking in case something is lost. PayPal requires signature confirmation on all shipments of $250.00 or more which will be included when applicable at cost with the insurance. USPS Express Mail with overnight delivery to most but not all locations available -- cost varies by item shape, size, and weight of your purchase(s) -- please email for a quote. There will be a small handling charge on Express Mail items to cover packing materials and gas to the Post Office. Otherwise, I charge only ACTUAL COSTS for USPS shipping, insurance, and signature confirmation, FREE delivery confirmation, and NO handling charges. International Shipping and Insurance: PayPal REQUIRES online tracking for ALL international shipments. If you are a new customer OR if you’re purchasing more than US$200.00 of merchandise, the risk is too great to ship without tracking and your order will be shipped by the least expensive tracked mail, USPS International Express Mail. Express Mail has a flat rate packet for smaller items OR the cost varies by weight and your location if the item is too large for the flat rate packet. If you are an established customer OR your item is less than US$200.00, your order will be shipped insured International 1st Class Mail. Recorded Delivery may be required on these orders. Most orders will arrive within 1-2 weeks, but exact delivery time depends on how fast your country’s customs clears the parcel. Exact shipping charges will vary by parcel weight, destination, and insurance depending on the size and weight of an item you purchase so please wait for my invoice. The U.S. Postal Service no longer furnishes free shipping supplies for international 1st class mail shipments so there will be a $1.00 charge for shipping materials. Otherwise, international shipment and insurance is always at cost. The Postal Service won’t insure silver, gold, or platinum jewelry so I use a private, third party insurance carrier for international shipments. Buyers are responsible for paying your country's duties and taxes if any. EXCLUDED COUNTRIES: Sorry, I can NOT ship to the following countries because insurance is impossible to obtain except to US military or diplomatic corps with APO/FPO addresses: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola & Cabinda, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma (Myanmar), Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kenya, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Papua/New Guinea, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, and Yemen. Note about PayPal E-Checks: To keep buyer and seller protection plans intact, PayPal policy prohibits sellers from sending merchandise until they approve all e-checks so shipment will be delayed. If you want or need instant shipment, then please use the credit or debit card option with PayPal. Sales tax: Only Kansas residents must pay Kansas sales tax. Feedback Policy: A transaction is considered complete when you receive your items and post feedback. I will then post feedback within a few days. Please be patient as I have many, many feedbacks to do and don’t use those impersonal automated feedback systems. Returns: Sales are not made on an approval basis and you are expected to keep you what you’ve agreed to buy except for major misrepresentation or major defect. Ebay no longer refunds sellers final value fees on returns if the buyer didn’t pay with PayPal so this policy varies with specific circumstances. Ebay never refunds listing fees. Returns must be approved in advance and then return shipped within 3 business days of receipt, and the item must be returned in its original condition or full credit may not be given. I issue merchandise credits less a restocking fee. A restocking fee is necessary to cover a part of the enormous amount of time and a high number of hidden expenses that returns create that buyers are unaware of. Buyers who chronically return items will be permanently blocked at the sole discretion of this seller. © Photos and product description: Ebay and non Ebay sellers: please take your own photos, do your own research, and write your own product descriptions. This is copyrighted material and finding my product descriptions and research on other seller‘s item pages and websites won‘t be tolerated. Please respect the plagiarism laws. Thank you. On Oct-02-07 at 00:44:59 PDT, seller added the following information: Powered by eBay Turbo Lister The free listing tool. List your items fast and easy and manage your active items. On Nov-10-08 at 21:27:28 PST, seller added the following information: Place a Bid!