Number 8 Turquoise Oval Pendant in Oxidized Sterling Silver

Robin's egg blue held together by a dark spiderweb, which is exactly what collectors mean when they say Number 8. This 9.5 carat oval cabochon is bezel set in sterling silver on a wider oxidized backplate that frames the stone like a shadow box, and it hangs from a ribbed sterling bail. The simple, clean bezel and oxidized silver keep the design understated so the stone can be the focus, making it an easy, everyday piece.

The Number 8 mine sits in the Lynn district of Eureka County, Nevada, and it stopped producing turquoise decades ago. Every Number 8 stone on the market today comes out of old stock somebody has been holding since, so the supply is finished. The web matrix is the signature people look for, and this stone carries it across the whole face.

Joyce Benavidez made this pendant at Cutting Edge Turquoise, our family lapidary, around a stone cut in the same shop. Her JB hallmark and the sterling stamp are on the back. Usually rough passes from a dealer to a cutter to a silversmith to a gallery, and nobody along that chain has seen both ends of it. Here it stays in the family from the stone to the silver.

Details

• Stone: Genuine Number 8 turquoise, Nevada, natural spiderweb matrix
• Stone weight: 9.5 carats
• Shape: Oval cabochon
• Metal: Sterling silver, stamped STERLING
• Setting: Smooth bezel on an oxidized sterling backplate
• Bail: Ribbed sterling bail
• Length: about 2 inches including the bail
• Pendant weight: about 6.5 grams
• Sold as a pendant only, ready for your own chain or cord
• Maker: Joyce Benavidez, Cutting Edge Turquoise, hallmarked JB
• Stone cut by: Cutting Edge Turquoise
• Type: One of a kind, only one available

Style and wear
At about 6.5 grams it is light enough to wear every day. The darkened silver around the stone makes the blue look brighter, so it shows up well on a plain silver chain, a leather cord, or layered with a longer piece. The streamlined setting and oxidized backplate give it a simple, minimalist look that works with casual outfits and more dressed-up layers. Try it with denim, a white shirt, or a black sweater.

Is it a good gift?
Turquoise is the December birthstone, and Number 8 is one of the names collectors know best. There is only one of this pendant, so it is a gift nobody else will be wearing. It is sold as a pendant only and arrives ready to hang on their favorite chain or cord, so you can pair it with a chain you choose or let them match it to what they already wear.

Care
Turquoise is porous, so keep it away from lotion, perfume, sunscreen, and cleaning products, and take it off before showering or swimming. Wipe it with a soft, dry cloth after wearing, and use a silver polishing cloth on the metal only, not the stone. Store it on its own in a dry pouch or box so harder pieces do not scratch it.

Handcrafted in the American Southwest. Ships from Santa Fe within 2 to 3 business days, ready to wear or to give.

Learn more. Read more about Number 8 turquoise and where it comes from, browse the Turquoise Buying Guide, or check the Turquoise Glossary for terms that come up when you shop rare stones.