Some symbols survive because they’re beautiful.
Others survive because every generation finds a new meaning inside them.
The Dragonfly Cross is one of those rare symbols.
At first glance, it looks unmistakably like a double-barred cross. But look a little longer and another image begins to emerge—the outstretched wings of a dragonfly. That dual identity is exactly what has made this form so enduring throughout the American Southwest. Introduced through Spanish influence and embraced by Pueblo and Navajo silversmiths, it evolved into something entirely its own: a symbol that carries echoes of faith, water, protection, renewal, and the meeting of cultures.
This necklace celebrates that story beautifully.
Suspended from a strand of handmade Navajo pearls are eleven Dragonfly Crosses, each carefully balanced around an extraordinary centerpiece. At its heart rests a monumental Dragonfly Cross adorned with a vivid turquoise cabochon, its clean architectural lines giving the necklace a commanding presence without sacrificing elegance.
I love that it doesn’t ask you to choose between meanings.
Is it a cross?
Is it a dragonfly?
The answer is simply… yes.
That’s what makes Southwestern jewelry so endlessly fascinating. Rather than replacing one tradition with another, it often wove them together, creating entirely new forms that honored both histories. This necklace is a remarkable example of that evolution—a wearable piece of cultural history that remains as striking today as when it was first made.
Artifact Registry
Artifact Name: Heart of the Dragonfly
Maker: Unknown
Origin: Southwestern United States
Era: Vintage
Materials: Sterling Silver, Turquoise
Construction: Hand-fabricated sterling silver necklace featuring handmade Navajo pearls, eleven Dragonfly Cross pendants, and an oversized Dragonfly Cross centerpiece set with a natural turquoise cabochon.
Condition: Excellent vintage condition with beautiful age-appropriate patina.
Collector’s Gallery Value: $2,800 - $3200
Estimated value for an equivalent work offered through a premier gallery or specialist Native American art dealer.
Field Observation
Dragonfly Cross necklaces occupy a distinctive place within Southwestern jewelry history. Derived from the historic double-barred cross introduced during the Spanish colonial period, Native artists reinterpreted the form as the Dragonfly Cross, a symbol associated with water, renewal, abundance, and protection. This necklace is an exceptional example of that tradition, combining a substantial strand of handmade Navajo pearls with a dramatic graduated arrangement of Dragonfly Cross pendants centered by a turquoise-set focal element. Its sculptural composition and historical significance make it an outstanding collector’s piece.
Some symbols survive because they’re beautiful.
Others survive because every generation finds a new meaning inside them.
The Dragonfly Cross is one of those rare symbols.
At first glance, it looks unmistakably like a double-barred cross. But look a little longer and another image begins to emerge—the outstretched wings of a dragonfly. That dual identity is exactly what has made this form so enduring throughout the American Southwest. Introduced through Spanish influence and embraced by Pueblo and Navajo silversmiths, it evolved into something entirely its own: a symbol that carries echoes of faith, water, protection, renewal, and the meeting of cultures.
This necklace celebrates that story beautifully.
Suspended from a strand of handmade Navajo pearls are eleven Dragonfly Crosses, each carefully balanced around an extraordinary centerpiece. At its heart rests a monumental Dragonfly Cross adorned with a vivid turquoise cabochon, its clean architectural lines giving the necklace a commanding presence without sacrificing elegance.
I love that it doesn’t ask you to choose between meanings.
Is it a cross?
Is it a dragonfly?
The answer is simply… yes.
That’s what makes Southwestern jewelry so endlessly fascinating. Rather than replacing one tradition with another, it often wove them together, creating entirely new forms that honored both histories. This necklace is a remarkable example of that evolution—a wearable piece of cultural history that remains as striking today as when it was first made.
Artifact Registry
Artifact Name: Heart of the Dragonfly
Maker: Unknown
Origin: Southwestern United States
Era: Vintage
Materials: Sterling Silver, Turquoise
Construction: Hand-fabricated sterling silver necklace featuring handmade Navajo pearls, eleven Dragonfly Cross pendants, and an oversized Dragonfly Cross centerpiece set with a natural turquoise cabochon.
Condition: Excellent vintage condition with beautiful age-appropriate patina.
Collector’s Gallery Value: $2,800 - $3200
Estimated value for an equivalent work offered through a premier gallery or specialist Native American art dealer.
Field Observation
Dragonfly Cross necklaces occupy a distinctive place within Southwestern jewelry history. Derived from the historic double-barred cross introduced during the Spanish colonial period, Native artists reinterpreted the form as the Dragonfly Cross, a symbol associated with water, renewal, abundance, and protection. This necklace is an exceptional example of that tradition, combining a substantial strand of handmade Navajo pearls with a dramatic graduated arrangement of Dragonfly Cross pendants centered by a turquoise-set focal element. Its sculptural composition and historical significance make it an outstanding collector’s piece.
