At Native JH, we specialize in unique, one of a kind Navajo, Zuni and Hopi Native American Jewelry pieces.
A little information about the origin of Native American jewelry:
Native Americans have used jewelry through the years both as adornment and in trade. Native Americans use stones like turquoise, spiny oyster shell, lapis, coral and black jet to make their jewelry; primarily necklaces, bracelets and rings. Turquoise, is a semi-precious stone that is found in mineral deposits and mined mostly in the southwest (Nevada, Colorado, Arizona) and is the most popular stone used in Native American jewelry. Archeologists have found turquoise beads dating back to as early as 200 BC. These discoveries not only show us the social status of jewelry at the time but also give us a little insight into the economic development of Native Americans.
It was the Navajo tribe that was primarily responsible for teaching other southwestern tribes how to make rings, necklaces, belt buckles, and bracelets with a style that is now synonymous with Native American jewelry. They learned about jewelry making when they came into contact with the Spanish around the 16th century. The Navajo noticed the jewelry worn by the Spaniards and how that jewelry granted them a certain status in society. The influence of the Spanish can clearly be seen by the use of the pomegranate blossom, sometimes known as the squash blossom necklace, which was inspired by the Moorish crescent.
Over the next 200 years, the Navajo refined their jewelry making skills, and also traded with the Spaniards for their jewelry. The Navajo enjoyed using the cross or crescent shaped naja on rawhide necklaces and it became a symbol of power. It is not known when the Navajo began using silver to make their jewelry, but best estimates are that Atsidi Sani was the first Navajo silversmith and that he learned to use silver in jewelry around the early 1860s.
To get silver to make jewelry, the Navajo often melted down silver coins. If they traded with the Spanish for such items as teapots or candlesticks, they would melt those as well. Although it was almost impossible to enforce the law the government passed in 1890 making it illegal to deface currency, the Navajo often turned to using silver Mexican coins as a resource.
At first, the Navajo concentrated on using silver to create concha type jewelry such as concha belts, bracelets, Native American rings, pins, necklaces, and hair ornaments. Within the next thirty years, Sani had taught many other Navajo to be silversmiths and use silver in jewelry. To get the decoration on the silver, the silversmith would hammer it on with a file. In the 1880s, The Navajos began using turquoise, a stone that is highly valued by their culture. It was also around this time that the Mexican silversmiths, called plateros, began traveling to the southwest for trade. Their styles also influenced the Navajo jewelry making.
By 1872, the Zuni tribe was making Native American jewelry as well as the Navajo. They were already working with copper, brass, and iron, so it only seemed natural to being using silver. Zuni silversmiths shared their jewelry making with the Hopi tribe. Each tribe began to develop its own style as they shared information. As their technique grew, they started using solder and were able to join two or more pieces together as well as set stones such as turquoise in their jewelry.
Silver is the primary medium used in ring making for the Navajo tribe of the American southwest; in fact the Navajo were the first tribe to use metalwork in their jewelry. Turquoise is most predominantly found here and is why it is so prevalent in their art and jewelry. Turquoise is believed to bring good fortune and that it appeased the Wind Spirit.
As you can see, jewelry such as Native American rings, necklaces, and bracelets, has come a long way through the years.
