INR ₹
USD $
EUR €
GBP £
Handcrafted Vintage Style Turquoise Silver Set
Hurry up! Sale Ends in
Guarantee safe & secure checkout
Turquoise Mosaic · Oxidised Silver
Vintage Style Turquoise
Silver Set
Not one stone set in silver — a hundred and more, each cut to fit the shape beside it.
Every plaque on this collar is a mosaic. A dozen or more small pieces of turquoise, each one cut to its own shape — teardrop, petal, oval — and set edge to edge so they close around a centre stone like the petals of a flower. Across the collar and the fringe below it, that runs to well over a hundred separately cut stones.
None of them matches another. The green shifts from pale sea to deep sage, and most carry the brown and black veining of the rock the stone was taken from. In turquoise that veining is called matrix, and it is the clearest sign you are looking at natural stone rather than reconstituted powder.
The Mosaic
Each rosette built from a dozen or more separately cut stones, closed around a single centre cabochon.
The Matrix
The brown and black veins running through the stone. Natural turquoise carries them; reconstituted turquoise does not.
The Fringe
Small inlaid drops below the collar, each closing in a cluster of plain silver beads that move as you do.
Setting one stone is jewellery. Cutting a hundred so that each one fits the shape of its neighbour is something else, and there are fewer hands left that can do it.
Both pieces included
The price covers the collar and the matching 3.4-inch earrings — a complete set, not the necklace alone.
Wears well for
- Turquoise is porous and soft — softer than almost any stone you own. Keep it away from water, perfume, hairspray, hand cream and oil, and put the set on last.
- Never use a silver dip, an ultrasonic cleaner or any liquid polish. A dip both strips the oxidation and soaks straight into the stone, and that cannot be undone.
- Wipe with a soft dry cloth only, around the stones rather than across them.
- Store flat and on its own, away from harder stones and metal that could scratch the inlay.
All our jewellery is handcrafted, and hence some variations may occur, which only add to its beauty.
Questions
Is the turquoise natural?
Yes. Look at the brown and black veining running through many of the stones — that is matrix, the host rock the turquoise grew in, and it is the most reliable sign of natural stone. Reconstituted turquoise, made from powder and resin, comes out evenly coloured and matrix-free.
The colour variation tells you the same thing. Across this collar the stones run from pale sea-green to deep sage. Natural turquoise is never uniform; a perfectly even blue across a hundred pieces would be the thing to question.
Why are the stones green rather than blue?
Turquoise occurs across a range from sky blue to deep green, and the green comes from iron in the stone where blue comes from copper. Green turquoise is not lesser turquoise — it is simply from different ground.
The green also sits differently against oxidised silver. Blue turquoise reads bright and modern; green reads older, which is what gives this set its vintage character.
Will the turquoise change colour over time?
It can, and this is worth knowing before you buy. Turquoise is porous, and over years of wear it slowly absorbs oils from skin and air. Old turquoise is usually greener and warmer than it was when it was cut.
Most collectors regard that as the stone taking on its wearer rather than as damage — but it is not reversible, and it happens much faster if the set meets perfume, cream or water. Keeping it dry is the whole of the care.
How does it sit?
As a collar. The inlaid plaques sit close around the base of the throat and the fringe falls onto the collarbone, so the whole piece stays high on the neck rather than dropping onto the chest.
That means it needs a bare or off-shoulder neckline to be seen. Against a collar or a high blouse the fringe lands on fabric and the drops stop reading as separate pieces.
What should I wear it with?
Something plain, and dark or neutral. Black, chocolate, ivory, cream, indigo, olive — grounds that let a hundred pieces of green stone be the only pattern in the outfit. It carries a plain silk saree, a solid kurta or a simple western dress equally well.
Wear the matching earrings and nothing else. At this scale a second necklace or a bright print turns a mosaic into a mess.
How do I clean it?
A soft dry cloth, and nothing else at all. No water, no soap, no silver dip, no ultrasonic. Turquoise absorbs whatever it is put in, and a cleaning liquid that would be harmless on plain silver soaks into the stone and stays there.
If the silver darkens over years, that is the oxidised finish deepening rather than tarnish. If the set ever needs real attention, bring it back to us instead of to a high-street polisher — inlay work has to be cleaned by hand, around the stones.
Totapari · Handcrafted in India
FAQs
We have both hallmarked 92.5 silver jewellery as well as gold-plated brass jewellery. Each and every piece is hypoallergenic and nickel free. You will find exact material details on each product page.
We offer free shipping on all prepaid orders.
Cash on Delivery is available only for orders above Rs 2500. Standard shipping rate of Rs 100 on all Cash on Delivery orders.
Standard shipping of Rs 3500 on all international orders.
We use both natural freshwater pearls as well as manufactured/ synthetic/ shell pearls. You will find the details clearly mentioned on each product page.
We use both natural and synthetic stones, as mentioned on each product page.
No, it won't lose its colour as it is meant to last you a lifetime. The plating is:
- Water resistant
- Tarnish resistant,
- and Sweat resistant
It just requires a little care and proper storage. Store in an airtight plastic bag provided by us. Keep away from water and fragrance. Wipe with soft cotton after wearing.
Do go through our detailed blog on how to care for your gold-plated jewellery.