Modernist Sterling Silver Onyx Malachite Double-Strand Necklace

Some necklaces sit on the collarbone. This one commands it. The double strand of mirror-polished black onyx rounds — weighted, substantial, hand-knotted on cotton cord — drapes with the kind of presence that only comes from real material and real construction. Vivid malachite rondelles punctuate each strand with flashes of deep green, keeping the palette from reading as severe. The whole composition pulls toward a large, hand-fabricated sterling silver pendant that stops the eye and holds it.

The pendant is a wide crescent of flat sheet silver — not cast, but cut and worked by hand — with a graduated fan of radiating silver tabs descending from its base. A large oval black onyx cabochon anchors the center in a scalloped bezel, flanked at the shoulders by two round onyx accent cabs. The design vocabulary — three-stone arrangement, scalloped bezel, radiating tab fringe, handmade hook-and-eye clasp — is consistent with Navajo-style bench silversmithing at its most confident, circa the 1970s–80s American silver revival. Marked STERLING on the pendant reverse; no artist hallmark present. At 97.1 grams, this piece has weight, intention, and a graphic clarity that reads just as well across a room as it does up close.

CONDITION

Good vintage condition. The silver pendant shows light surface scratches and patina consistent with decades of wear — no dents, bent tabs, or missing stones. The center cabochon is secure in its setting. Cotton cord stringing shows some darkening with age but is structurally intact. All malachite and onyx beads are intact with no chips or cracks observed. Polishing left to the buyer. Please examine all photos closely.

SPECIFICATIONS