There are squash blossoms.
And then there are stories that happen to be worn around your neck.
The first thing your eye catches is the color. Ronald Tom paired vivid Kingman turquoise with softer, almost sea-glass shades of Egyptian turquoise, creating a rhythm that feels completely natural—as if the stones were gathered from two different horizons before finding each other here.
Then the butterflies appear.
Not as decoration.
As travelers.
They drift along the strand, pausing between hand-cut turquoise beads before finally arriving at the naja, where a magnificent butterfly spreads its wings across the centerpiece. It doesn’t feel designed. It feels alive.
At 286 grams, this is an unapologetically substantial necklace, yet it never feels heavy visually. Ronald has that rare ability to balance movement with monumentality. Every blossom creates space for the next. Every bead gives your eye somewhere to rest before continuing the journey.
This isn’t simply a squash blossom.
It’s a migration captured in silver.
Artifact Registry
Artifact: Flight of Kings
Maker: Ronald Tom (Navajo)
Materials
- Natural Kingman Turquoise
- Egyptian Turquoise
- Sterling Silver
Specifications
- Weight: 286 grams
- Hand-strung graduated turquoise bead necklace
- Hand-fabricated butterfly squash blossom design
- Monumental butterfly naja centerpiece
- Individually fabricated sterling blossoms and traditional Navajo silverwork
Field Observation
Butterflies symbolize transformation, but here they also create movement. Your eye follows them naturally around the necklace until it lands on the great butterfly at the center. It’s less a piece of jewelry than a visual journey.
Eric’s Notes from the Field
Ronald Tom has this gift.
He can take something that’s been made for generations and somehow make it feel like you’ve never seen it before.
That’s not easy.
The butterflies could have felt gimmicky.
Instead, they feel inevitable.
And I absolutely love the combination of Kingman and Egyptian turquoise. One is bold. One is quiet. Together they create depth that photographs barely capture.
If I walked into a room and saw this hanging on the wall, I’d walk straight past everything else to pick it up.
That’s usually a pretty good sign.
Some relics commemorate a place.
This one commemorates a journey.
Kingman Turquoise
Flight of Kings Butterfly Squashblossom by Ronald Tom
Sterling Silver
Native-Made & Handcrafted with Care
Have a burning question? Please feel free to contact us
There are squash blossoms.
And then there are stories that happen to be worn around your neck.
The first thing your eye catches is the color. Ronald Tom paired vivid Kingman turquoise with softer, almost sea-glass shades of Egyptian turquoise, creating a rhythm that feels completely natural—as if the stones were gathered from two different horizons before finding each other here.
Then the butterflies appear.
Not as decoration.
As travelers.
They drift along the strand, pausing between hand-cut turquoise beads before finally arriving at the naja, where a magnificent butterfly spreads its wings across the centerpiece. It doesn’t feel designed. It feels alive.
At 286 grams, this is an unapologetically substantial necklace, yet it never feels heavy visually. Ronald has that rare ability to balance movement with monumentality. Every blossom creates space for the next. Every bead gives your eye somewhere to rest before continuing the journey.
This isn’t simply a squash blossom.
It’s a migration captured in silver.
Artifact Registry
Artifact: Flight of Kings
Maker: Ronald Tom (Navajo)
Materials
- Natural Kingman Turquoise
- Egyptian Turquoise
- Sterling Silver
Specifications
- Weight: 286 grams
- Hand-strung graduated turquoise bead necklace
- Hand-fabricated butterfly squash blossom design
- Monumental butterfly naja centerpiece
- Individually fabricated sterling blossoms and traditional Navajo silverwork
Field Observation
Butterflies symbolize transformation, but here they also create movement. Your eye follows them naturally around the necklace until it lands on the great butterfly at the center. It’s less a piece of jewelry than a visual journey.
Eric’s Notes from the Field
Ronald Tom has this gift.
He can take something that’s been made for generations and somehow make it feel like you’ve never seen it before.
That’s not easy.
The butterflies could have felt gimmicky.
Instead, they feel inevitable.
And I absolutely love the combination of Kingman and Egyptian turquoise. One is bold. One is quiet. Together they create depth that photographs barely capture.
If I walked into a room and saw this hanging on the wall, I’d walk straight past everything else to pick it up.
That’s usually a pretty good sign.
Some relics commemorate a place.
This one commemorates a journey.
Kingman Turquoise
