Vintage Federico Jimenez Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Cleopatra Necklace | Museum-Quality Navajo Handmade Sterling Silver Statement Necklace | Hidden Clasp Design
$13,799.00
Details
• Artist: Federico Jimenez (signed “JF” and “STERLING”)
• Material: Sterling silver and Sleeping Beauty turquoise
• Clasp: Hidden turquoise-set box clasp
• Length: 18 inches
• Weight: 312 grams
• Main Pendant: 3 inches long X 1.5 inches wide
• Side Pendants (6): 2.5 inches long X 1 inch wide (each)
• Back Graduated Drops (12): 1.5 inches long X 0.75 inch wide (each)
• Origin: Handcrafted in the USA
• Era: Vintage (1990s)
• Condition: Excellent vintage condition with light natural patina
This necklace is a true masterwork by Federico Jiménez (signed “JF” and “STERLING”) — an acclaimed Southwest jewelry designer and collector of Indigenous Mexican art, of Mixtec (Ñuu Savi) descent, originally from Tututepec, Oaxaca, Mexico.
A creation of staggering beauty and craftsmanship, this vintage Sleeping Beauty turquoise “Cleopatra” necklace is a museum-worthy piece that perfectly captures Federico’s genius for proportion, movement, and color. Each turquoise stone is hand-set in sterling silver, forming cascading clusters that flow naturally along the neck and chest. The design is bold, sculptural, and impossibly elegant — it feels made for your body, sitting perfectly flat and comfortable despite its monumental scale.
There are seven primary drops at the front — the central pendant measures approximately 3 inches long, flanked by six others measuring 2.5 inches each — followed by twelve smaller graduated fringes that extend toward the clasp, each about 1.5 inches long. The necklace measures 18 inches in total length and weighs 312 grams, though Federico’s masterful engineering makes it feel surprisingly light once worn.
One of the most extraordinary features is the hidden clasp: a fully integrated box mechanism disguised beneath a square turquoise cabochon — an ingenious and elegant touch that speaks to the artist’s eye for both form and function.
The turquoise used here comes primarily from the Sleeping Beauty Mine in Globe, Arizona — famous for its flawless, robin’s-egg-blue stones with minimal matrix. These stones are beautifully matched and arranged in radiant clusters that feel both timeless and sculptural, reflecting Federico’s distinct visual language and deep respect for Indigenous heritage.
About Federico Jiménez
Federico Jiménez Caballero is an acclaimed jewelry artist of Mixtec (Ñuu Savi) descent, originally from Tututepec, Oaxaca, Mexico, who later built his career in Southern California. He is also widely known for his expertise in Mexican silver and Indigenous Mexican art and jewelry, and his work reflects a reverence for Indigenous heritage through bold scale, precise silversmithing, and dramatic turquoise composition.