Native American Jewelry

Native American jewelry takes many forms, depending on the tribe and the individual artist. Making use of the materials offered by the natural world, Indians turned these simple things into objects of beauty. The tradition of jewelry styles has developed over the centuries, and often distinctive styles developed in different tribes. Some of the jewelry was considered to be currency, and was used for trade and barter between the Native American nations.

Although the jewelry created from natural items was very lovely, when the artists of the Navajo and Hopi tribes saw Mexican silver work, they knew they had to learn how to work with metals. These native people often bartered their livestock for lessons, in order to become skilled in working with silver. They soon made silver work their own by taking what they had learned back to the pueblo and village. A distinctive and beautiful style evolved from this beginning. Native American jewelry is simply unmistakable as seen by the incorporating turquoise and other semi precious stones into the silver. Silver jewelry in earlier times was made by sand casting or by cutting and hammering. The last method involves the use of a forge to melt the silver, then pouring the molten silver into a mold made of sandstone. Native American jewelry created in this way involves a great deal of finishing work afterwards.

The tradition of jewelry crafting which is centuries old, is still very popular today. Artists of great skill still create Native American jewelry in many styles. While the use of silver has become very popular, especially among the Indians of the Southwest, the Hopi and Navajo have become especially renowned. Generally of a low quality, much of what is sold as Native American jewelry is simply mass produced in factories. It is best to try to find pieces created by hand by true Indian artisans when looking for Native American jewelry to purchase.

One of the most easily recognized articles of Native American jewelry would probably be silver belts. Besides belts, necklaces, rings, bracelets, and earrings are among the many types of jewelry available. Oddly, unlike many Native American art forms, Navajo jewelry often has no symbolic meaning; it is simply created to be beautiful. The Apache stand out in terms of creativity and skill among the other tribes renowned for their jewelry. This attention to detail is still being carried on today by Native American artists from many tribes. It is best to purchase pieces that are made by actual Indian artists when considering buying Native American jewelry. Found in each item is centuries of skill and tradition. Adding just the right touch to casual dress, silver jewelry accented with semi precious stones gives a distinctive look. With the proper pieces of Native American jewelry, an even more formal attire can be embellished.


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Author Craig Chambers offers more about Native American Jewelry on his website. You can also get his monthly newsletter, online discounts and download his popular free ebook from http://www.missiondelrey.com.