Vintage Sterling Silver Turquoise Hubbell Glass Ring

Large oval Turquoise Hubbell Glass Cabachon is bezel set in Sterling Silver Size: 7.5 Measures: 1.25" x .75" Weight: 11.4g Hubbell (or Czechoslavakian, Bohemian, or Italian) glass was used in Navajo and Pueblo jewelry in lieu of turquoise when quality turquoise was difficult to acquire.  Vintage works such as this occasionally have Hubbell glass. It is fairly rare and desirable. Hubbell beads were glass beads imported from Italy, Bohemia and later Czechoslovakia. Though there is not significant evidence the practice was begun by Lorenzo Hubbell, owner of Hubbell Trading Post, the beads have become associated with his name. They were purchased as a less expensive way of producing jewelry. Since the traders often supplied the Native artists with the materials for jewelry sold at the trading posts, the traders looked for ways to lower the costs of producing enough jewelry to meet the market demand. They found one way through the cottage crafters in areas such as Czechoslovakia.