There’s a question I get asked sometimes when someone picks up a piece and feels the weight of it, or notices that the stone doesn’t look quite like anything they’ve seen before: Is this rare?
With Sleeping Beauty turquoise, the honest answer is yes.
Not “rare” the way marketing departments use the word. Rare in the real sense — the mine is no longer extracting this beautiful stone. The Sleeping Beauty Mine in Globe, Arizona, the source of what I believe is the finest turquoise ever pulled from the earth, stopped production. What exists in the world now is what exists. No new material is coming (or has been for a while now).
That’s the stone at the heart of this necklace.
What the stone looks like — and why it matters
If you’ve ever seen a robin’s egg in the right light, you understand Sleeping Beauty turquoise. It’s that particular blue. Not green. Not grey. Not matrix-heavy. Pure, clean, almost luminous — the color you imagine when you close your eyes and think turquoise.
The beads are natural shapes, the way they were found in the earth, just polished enough to let the stone breathe. Three strands, hand-beaded. Each stone hand-selected. The cutting was done in Italy — by a professional cutter who understood what he was working with.
That level of material, plus that level of cutting, is a combination I may never be able to assemble again.
The clasp is its own story
I designed this clasp specifically for this necklace, and I want you to understand what went into it.
At the center: a cushion-cut Sleeping Beauty turquoise cabochon. The same mine, the same blue, set as the heart of the clasp itself.
Around it: 1.55 carats of pavé diamonds, hand-set stone by stone. And circling the whole thing: a hand-twisted rope of 18k yellow gold. Three separate strands of gold wire, twisted by hand. You can see the texture when you hold it. It catches the light differently from every angle.
This is not a functional clasp with decorative details. It’s a jewel that happens to fasten the necklace. More details about this stunning necklace here.
Why it wears in the back
The clasp is meant to sit at the back of the neck — which is, I admit, an unconventional choice. But look at the back of this necklace and you’ll understand why I made it.
The reverse mechanism — engraved with my signature “JA” — is finished with the same care as the front. Every detail is resolved. Every seam is clean. When you wear this with your hair up, the back becomes its own moment. The person walking behind you sees something just as beautiful as the person facing you.
I’ve always believed a piece of fine jewelry should be finished completely. There is no hidden side. There is no place where the work stops.
What I want you to know
I’ve been at the bench for over thirty years. I’ve worked with a lot of material. And I want to be honest with you: pieces like this don’t come around often.
This is a one-of-a-kind. I cannot make another one like it. Not because I wouldn’t want to — because the stone isn’t there. The Sleeping Beauty Mine gave what it gave, and now that chapter is closed.
What’s left is what you see here: three strands of the finest turquoise I’ve ever worked with, a clasp that took real time and real hands, and a necklace that I believe will be as beautiful in fifty years as it is today.
Style N00673 — One of a Kind. Available now at johnapel.com. Questions? Call our atelier: 212-997-1783.
