Native American jewelers are known for their hand-fashioned jewelry that has embedded itself equally in the American history and contemporary fashion. Native jewelry designs have been created since ancient times. Each piece of jewelry is renowned in today’s fashion because of their uniqueness in nature, natural charm and elegance. Archaeologists have discovered that Native American jewelry styles differ from tribe to tribe.
Native American jewelers make two very broad categories on their art: explicit beadwork and metalwork. Before the coming of the Europeans, native metalwork was relatively simple, jewelries are hammered and etched from copper and formed into earrings or pendants and some were fashioned into beads. A new style arose around the 1800’s when the Hopi, Navajo, and Pueblo artists learned new methods from the Spanish. The resulting jewelry is a fusion of native designs and new techniques.
Native beadwork style comprises of fine corals, turquoise and smooth shell beads that are made into heishi necklaces. They are also made by the piecing and soaking of porcupine quills and elaborate stitching of thousand pieces of beads together. Sometimes it is difficult to spot a piece made by a bona fide Native American jeweler. Factors like appearance, price, the materials and the authenticity guaranteed by the seller may help determine the origin of the product. Although Indian artisans create and sell practical items for souvenirs, genuine superlative Native American jewelry can be very expensive. The majority of the jewelers commonly use sterling silver matched with turquoise, shell, onyx, coral, lapis lazuli, or carnelian.
Jewelry fashioned by excellent artisans has no dithering lines or uneven designs. Superb quality pieces use stones which are finely cut and consistent in size, and fit securely into their places. Fabricated stones are badly cut, sending-off a huge amount of metal-colored glue visible amidst the stone and the metal. Native American jewelers would always imprint their hallmark on their craft to distinguish their work.
It can not be determined when the Zunis and the Navajo learnt silversmithing, what’s certain is that the past eighty years symbolizes the Native American Jewelry’s golden age, It is deemed that one of the main factors responsible for this is the Anglo traders’ influence and their allegiance to profits and progress. This has motivated the Native American Indians and evoked in them a sense of honor and professionalism. Of course other factors such as advancement of machinery and tools and accessibility to raw materials contributed as well to what we now know as Modern Native American jewelry and crafts.
For the early people of southwest America, the most valued raw materials were turquoise and shell. Today, a large amount of turquoise is being mined in Nevada and Colorado and then transported to the Navajo, Hopi or Zuni jewelers. Times may have changed, and technology continued to progress but the materials used in Native American jewelry remains constant. It is only that the designs have just become more fascinating than ever and it became more and more elaborate. Now, people all over the world acknowledge the value, soul and heritage of Native American jewelry. GP
