Home Get Inspired Pendants Native American-Style Turquoise Cross Pendant in Silver

A sterling silver cross pendant with blue turquoise inlay bars along each arm, a diagonal sash across the center, and a small interlocking wedding bands motif with a clear stone accent near the top of the crossbar.

Native American-Style Turquoise Cross Pendant in Silver

$$$

Sterling silver, natural turquoise, lab diamond

A client wanted a cross pendant that reflected the Southwestern and Native American-inspired jewelry she wears every day, built around turquoise and a sterling silver sash. Partway through design, the center turquoise was removed to make room for a small cluster of wedding bands with a tiny diamond — a detail she was thrilled to see worked in. When the first render arrived she wrote: 'LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!!!!! SO EXCITED!!!'

'Yes! Yes! Yes!! I love it!!!!' — on seeing the design sketch

'LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!!!!! SO EXCITED!!!' — on seeing the photorealistic render

Start your project

Daily wear For herself Just because Make Your Mark Cultural or heritage, Identity expression

Quick specs

Design type

Pendants

Primary Metal

Sterling silver

Shape / Cut

Custom cut

Primary Stone

Turquoise

Accent Stones

Diamonds

Style

Cross Cultural heritage Engraved Inlay Religios Western

Design Complexity

Complex

Intent

Make Your Mark Cultural or heritage, Identity expression

Intent: Certainty

High

Size

Pendant approximately 3in (76mm) height.

How they made it distinctive

01
Turquoise hand-selected and custom-cut by the jeweler specifically for this piece rather than pulled from pre-cut stock
02
Center turquoise inlay omitted deliberately to make room for both the raised sash and a dimensional ring-cluster detail
03
Small diamond accent added into one of the wedding bands as a personal touch after the main design was approved
04
Flared, fleur-de-lis arm shape and inlay style modeled directly on a cross the client already owned and loved
05
Back of pendant engraved with a short inscription for personal meaning

How you'd make it yours

Stone: this piece uses natural turquoise; a new commission could use a different colored stone or a different turquoise grade for a different price point

Metal: this piece is sterling silver; the same design language works in white gold for a more formal finish

Ring-cluster detail: this piece includes a small wedding-band motif with a diamond accent; a new commission could omit or resize this element

Engraving: the back of this piece carries a short inscription; a new piece can carry a different phrase, date, or initials

Size: this piece is made at approximately 3 inches; a new commission can be sized smaller or larger to fit a different wearer

One of a kind: this exact pendant was designed for one client and is not reproduced — a new commission is an original piece inspired by this one, not a copy

Design changes made

The center turquoise inlay was removed from the design so there would be room for the raised sash and the small wedding-band cluster detail; the master jeweler found a way to keep both the sash and the dimensional ring detail rather than sacrificing one for the other. A tiny diamond accent was also added to one of the wedding bands after the client requested it.

Who this is for

This piece is for someone who wears Southwestern and Native American-inspired jewelry regularly and wants a faith piece that fits naturally into that style. It's especially right if you already have a piece you love the look of and want something new built around that same aesthetic, with room for a personal detail woven in.

How it's made

Once the design was approved, the piece was 3D printed in wax and attached to a wax tree inside a flask. The flask was invested in plaster and fired in a kiln to burn out the wax, leaving a hollow mold. Molten sterling silver was then cast into the mold under pressure, and after cooling, the raw pendant was removed from the mold and prepared for finishing. After casting, the pendant was cleaned and pre-polished before the detailed inlay work began. The master jeweler hand-selected and custom-cut each piece of turquoise to fit the individual channels along the cross's arms, setting them one at a time. The small diamond accent was set into one of the wedding bands in the ring cluster as the final stone-setting step, after the turquoise inlay was complete.

Key note

The turquoise used in this piece was hand-selected and custom-cut by the jeweler specifically for this pendant, rather than pulled from pre-cut stock.

Pricing guidance

A complex sterling silver cross pendant with custom hand-cut turquoise inlay and a dimensional ring-cluster detail sits in the mid range for pendants of this scale and detail. Most of the cost comes from the labor of hand-cutting and setting multiple turquoise segments individually, plus the dimensional sculpting work for the sash and ring cluster. Gemstone grade and the number of custom-cut inlay pieces are the biggest variables from there.

Moves price up ↑

↑
Using higher-grade, more vividly colored natural turquoise with fewer inclusions
↑
Adding more individually custom-cut inlay segments rather than fewer, larger pieces
↑
Upgrading the small diamond accent to a larger stone or adding more diamonds
↑
Increasing the pendant size beyond 3 inches, which requires more metal and more inlay area
↑
Adding detailed engraving on both the front and back of the pendant

Moves price down ↓

↓
Using fewer, larger turquoise segments rather than many small custom-cut pieces
↓
Choosing lab-created or reconstituted turquoise instead of natural high-grade turquoise
↓
Omitting the diamond accent entirely
↓
Simplifying the ring-cluster detail or removing it from the design
↓
Reducing the pendant size to 2 inches or smaller

Questions people ask

Is the turquoise in this pendant real or synthetic?

The turquoise in this piece is natural, fine jewelry-grade material that was hand-selected and custom-cut by the jeweler specifically for this pendant. Natural turquoise varies in color and matrix pattern from stone to stone, which is part of why it's typically sourced and cut piece by piece rather than pulled from a uniform batch. It's a relatively soft stone, in the 5 to 6 range on the Mohs hardness scale, so it benefits from a protective setting like the channel inlay used here. With reasonable care — avoiding harsh chemicals and extended water exposure — natural turquoise inlay holds its color and finish well for daily wear.

How durable is a sterling silver pendant for everyday wear?

Sterling silver (92.5% pure silver) is a durable choice for a pendant this size, though it will tarnish over time with air exposure and needs occasional polishing to keep its shine. A pendant of this scale, around 3 inches, has enough metal mass in the structure to hold up well to normal daily wear. The turquoise inlay is the more delicate element, since turquoise is softer than silver, so it's worth avoiding activities like swimming or heavy manual work while wearing it. Simple care — wiping down after wear and storing away from humidity — keeps both the silver and the stone looking their best.

Can you custom cut turquoise to fit a specific design?

Yes, custom-cutting turquoise to fit a specific channel or inlay pattern is a standard part of producing a piece like this. Because turquoise is a natural stone with inconsistent color and veining, a jeweler typically selects individual pieces by hand and shapes each one to the exact dimensions the design calls for, rather than using pre-cut stock. This hand-cutting and fitting process is labor-intensive, especially when a design calls for multiple separate inlay segments as this one does. The result is a tighter, more precise fit than off-the-shelf cut stones typically allow.

What does a custom turquoise cross pendant typically cost?

A pendant like this, roughly 3 inches with multiple hand-cut turquoise inlay segments and a dimensional ring-cluster detail with a diamond accent, falls in the mid range for custom pendant work of this complexity. The price is driven primarily by the labor of selecting and custom-cutting several turquoise pieces individually rather than the material cost of the silver itself. Adding features like the diamond accent or more inlay detail moves the price up, while simplifying the inlay pattern or omitting small stone accents brings it down. Size also matters, since a larger pendant requires more metal and more inlay area to fill.

How long does it take to make a custom pendant like this?

A pendant with this level of inlay and dimensional detail typically takes several weeks from design approval to completion, longer than a simple cast pendant because of the hand-cutting and setting involved in the turquoise inlay. The process starts with a 3D wax model and casting, followed by cleaning and polishing, and then the turquoise is selected and custom-cut and set piece by piece. A final stone-setting step, like adding a small diamond accent, typically happens after the main inlay work is finished. Sourcing the right turquoise can also add time if the jeweler wants a specific color and quality match.

Can you add a small diamond accent to an existing design like this?

Yes, a small diamond accent can be worked into a design after the main concept is approved, as long as there's a logical place for it structurally, such as within a dimensional detail like a ring or band motif. Adding a stone after a render is approved does typically affect the final cost and may require the design team to confirm it with the production side first. A single small accent diamond like this is usually set as one of the final steps in production, after larger inlay or setting work is complete. It's a good way to add a personal touch without changing the overall design concept.

Can a pendant like this be engraved on the back?

Yes, engraving on the back of a pendant like this is a common addition and is typically done at no extra charge as part of the design process. Short inscriptions, initials, or meaningful phrases are the most common choices, and the engraving is applied after the piece is cast but before final polishing. Because the pendant has a solid metal back in a design like this, there's enough flat surface area to accommodate a short line of text clearly. It's worth deciding on the exact wording early, since engraving is typically finalized before the piece moves into production.

Is Native American-style turquoise jewelry something you can replicate in a new design?

Yes, Southwestern and Native American-inspired design language — turquoise inlay, silver work, and shapes like flared cross arms — can be incorporated into a new custom piece when a client provides a clear reference or an existing piece they like the look of. The key to a successful result is having good reference photos or a piece to model the proportions and inlay style after, since these design elements depend heavily on precise stone placement and metalwork detail. A jeweler can then adapt that aesthetic to a new design while keeping the proportions and overall feeling consistent with the reference.