Fourteen Slides in the Desert's Design Language

This collection gathers the pieces built on Southwestern motifs: eagles at rest and in flight, a sun calendar, carved flowers, wolf heads, and insects cast in antiqued metal. It differs from our turquoise-tone collection in what defines membership: that page collects a stone color across any motif, while this one collects a design language — several pieces here, like the cicada and the moth, carry no stone at all.

One thing said plainly: these are Southwestern-inspired pieces in zinc alloy, not Native American made, and not affiliated with or endorsed by any tribe. If you want the living tradition, buy from a named silversmith or a gallery that identifies its artists — our guide to vetting vintage bolo ties shows how to read hallmarks and artist marks.

Picking between the fourteen

Split the collection in two. Stone-anchored slides — the eagle emblem, the carved flower, the heart-set pieces — anchor plain shirts and photograph well; they are the pick for a western wedding guest or a first Southwestern piece. All-metal castings — cicada, moth, spread-wing eagle — trade color for relief detail and suit wearers who already own turquoise-tone and want variety. Colorways matter too: the eagle totem comes in blue or brown, and the choice is a wardrobe question — blue lifts white shirts and denim, brown settles into khaki, olive and leather. If raptors are the draw, the eagle collection holds every one we stock.

Materials, without the mythology

The slides are zinc alloy under an antiqued silver-tone or bronze-tone finish — the darkened recesses are applied in production, not earned by age. The blue stones are turquoise-tone resin or reconstituted composite, not mined mineral; our stone guide explains how imitations differ from mined turquoise. Cords range from 34 to 42 inches in leather or PU, stated per product. Prices sit between $24.99 and $34.99.

Southwestern collection FAQ

Is any of the turquoise in this collection real?

No. Every blue stone here is turquoise-tone resin or composite. At this price that is the only honest answer, and we would rather you read it here than find out on delivery.

What separates this collection from the turquoise-tone one?

Motif versus stone. If the design speaks desert — eagles, suns, carved flowers — it lives here whatever its stone; if a piece is defined by its blue stone, it lives in turquoise-tone. A handful qualify for both.

Can I wear one of these to a western-themed wedding?

Yes — favor the stone-anchored slides over the figural wolves, and check the wedding collection for pieces chosen specifically for guests and groomsmen.