Vintage Fred Harvey Turquoise Thunderbird Ring

Size

US 4.5

Condition

Excellent condition.

Story

Fred Harvey jewelry is vintage Southwestern jewelry made by The Fred Harvey Company in the first half of the twentieth century. Sold in the company’s “Harvey House” restaurants and hotels, this jewelry was manufactured for the tourist trade that flooded into the American Southwest with the advent of the Santa Fe Railroad. The company’s marketing department chose the jewelry motifs (such as the thunderbird, arrows, and snakes) to appeal to tourists. Even though Native American hands did not typically make the jewelry, the Fred Harvey jewelry style did influence Navajo silversmiths of the day because of its popularity with buyers. Today, authentic Fred Harvey jewelry is collectible in its own right, given its historical context.