Navajo Pearl Stud Earrings: How to Style Them Every Day

Stud earrings are the pieces you reach for every morning, and silver bead studs and turquoise studs are two of the easiest to wear. They are small enough to go with almost anything, yet interesting enough to notice up close.

Since the names can be confusing, here is how we use them in this post:

• Native American made turquoise earrings are made by Native American artists, typically in sterling silver with a turquoise stone in a silver setting.
• Navajo Pearl style stud earrings in our Desert Pearl range are sterling silver beads in the Navajo Pearl style. The beads are machine-made.

You can browse both in our Navajo pearl stud and turquoise earrings collection, and each product page describes the piece in detail.

What Are Navajo Pearls?

"Navajo pearl" is the name for a round sterling silver bead that has been part of Navajo silversmithing since the late 1800s. Despite the name, it is entirely silver and not a natural pearl. Traditionally, these beads are formed from two domed halves of silver, soldered together, smoothed, and often stamped by hand.

The Navajo Pearl style has since inspired jewelry beyond traditional silversmithing. Desert Pearl studs use the same rounded silver bead look, made with machine-made beads, and offer an easy everyday way to wear it.

Turquoise Earrings: Adding the Stone

Where silver bead studs speak through the metal alone, turquoise earrings add color. In Navajo tradition, turquoise is often associated with the sky and the south. The stone has been part of Southwestern jewelry for a very long time.

Turquoise studs usually pair a turquoise cabochon, a smooth domed stone, with a silver bezel, the thin silver collar that holds the stone in place. Southwestern turquoise comes in a wide range of blues and blue-greens. Some of the best-known types include:

• Sleeping Beauty (Arizona): clear sky blue with little matrix.
• Kingman (Arizona): blue to blue-green, with varying matrix patterns.
• Royston (Nevada): deeper blue-green with earthy brown matrix.

This is general background on well-known stones. The stone type and details for each pair we offer are listed on its product page.

Everyday Styling Ideas

With Casual Outfits

A white tee, good jeans and a pair of silver bead studs make a complete look with no other accessories. Silver sits well against both warm and cool skin tones, and small studs relax with casual clothes instead of competing with them. They are also an easy choice for weekend dresses and linen sets.

With Smart Casual and Work Outfits

Silver studs look polished with blazers, tailored trousers and structured dresses. A pair of turquoise studs in a simple round setting adds a small point of color at the ear, so you do not need a necklace or bracelet to finish the outfit.

With Bohemian and Summer Styles

Turquoise and Southwestern style go together naturally. Maxi dresses, embroidered tops and wide-leg linen pants all pair well with silver bead or turquoise studs. In summer, sky blue turquoise looks lovely with white, cream, pale blue and terracotta.

Stacking with Other Earrings

If you have more than one piercing, a silver bead stud in the first hole makes a good anchor, with smaller, simpler studs above it. Mixing in small gold or mixed-metal hoops is an easy way to blend warm and cool tones.

Knowing What You Are Buying

The Indian Arts and Crafts Act makes it illegal to market jewelry as Native American made when it is not. When you shop for Native American made turquoise earrings, a few things are worth checking:

• Hand-formed details. Handmade silver and bezels often show small variations, which are a sign of the maker's hand and not a flaw.
• Silver quality. Sterling silver is 92.5 percent silver and is usually stamped. Very light metal or metal that reacts to a magnet may be plated base metal.
• Clear information. A good seller tells you the stone type, any treatment, and who made the piece when that is known.

You can read more on our authenticity page.

Caring for Your Earrings

• Polish the silver with a soft cloth to slow tarnish. Avoid chemical silver dips, which can harm turquoise and soldered joins.
• Take them off before swimming, showering and exercise. Chlorine, salt water and sweat tarnish silver and can affect porous turquoise.
• Store them well in anti-tarnish pouches or a cloth-lined box, kept apart so nothing scratches.
• Keep turquoise away from perfume and skin products, which the stone can absorb.
• Hold turquoise earrings by the silver setting when putting them in or taking them out, to avoid pressing on the stone.

With regular care, sterling silver earrings can last for years and develop a soft patina as they age.

A Note on Desert Pearls

Desert Pearls are sterling silver beads in the Navajo Pearl style. The beads are machine-made, and Desert Pearl earrings are assembled in the USA. Our turquoise earrings made by Native American artists are a separate category, and we describe each on its product page. You can also browse our Desert Pearl earrings.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Navajo pearl stud earrings?

They are earrings with a round sterling silver bead, in the style of traditional Navajo pearls. Despite the name, they are silver and not gemstone pearls. Traditional Navajo pearls are formed and stamped by hand by Navajo silversmiths. Desert Pearl studs are Navajo Pearl style, with machine-made beads.

What is the difference between pearl studs and turquoise earrings?

Silver bead studs feature the bead as the main design. Turquoise earrings feature a turquoise stone in a silver setting. Our turquoise earrings made by Native American artists are listed as such, while Desert Pearl studs are listed as machine-made.

Are they good for everyday wear?

Yes. Their small size and silver tone work with casual and work outfits, and with basic care they hold up well for daily use.

How do I know if turquoise earrings are Native American made?

Look for clear information on the maker, sterling silver, hand-formed settings, and a clear description of whether the turquoise is natural or stabilized. If it is not stated, ask the seller.

How should I care for them?

Polish the silver with a soft cloth, remove them before swimming or showering, store them in anti-tarnish pouches, and keep them away from perfume and chemicals.

Find Your Pair

Whether you are after a simple silver bead stud or a turquoise pair you will wear for years, we would be glad to help. Explore the stud and turquoise earrings at Sunset Turquoise Mountain, a family-run shop in Texas.