The Artisanal Heritage of Native American Jewelry Making

Native American jewelry is not just adornment. It carries deep cultural significance, serving as a medium for storytelling, a marker of social status, and a vehicle for spiritual protection. Four tribes, in particular, have been pivotal in shaping the traditional and contemporary landscapes of Native American jewelry: the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, and Santo Domingo (Kewa) tribes. Each tribe brings its own unique styles, techniques, and cultural symbols to its creations.

Navajo Tribe

The Navajo, or Diné, are the largest Native American tribe in the United States. Known primarily for their use of silver and turquoise, Navajo jewelers pioneered many techniques that have become synonymous with Native American jewelry. Their introduction to silversmithing, attributed to the influence of Spanish settlers in the 1850s, led to the development of distinctive styles such as:

Silverwork

Navajo artisans are renowned for their skills in forging silver. Techniques include stamping, where patterns are hammered into silver using handcrafted stamps, and overlay, involving soldering a cut-out top layer of silver to a solid bottom layer, creating a two-toned effect.

Turquoise

This semi-precious stone is central to Navajo jewelry. It is often set in silver and believed to offer protection and good fortune.

Squash Blossom Necklace

This iconic piece features a crescent-shaped pendant called a 'Naja' with a string of beads that resemble squash blossoms.

Hopi Tribe

Situated in northeastern Arizona, the Hopi tribe is well known for its intricate overlay jewelry.

Unlike the Navajo, Hopi jewelry typically does not use stones and focuses more on the metal itself, usually silver. Hopi jewelry is distinct for:

Overlay Techniques

This involves creating a detailed design in a sheet of silver, which is then soldered onto another sheet, with the background often textured and oxidized to highlight the design.

Motifs Symbolic

Hopi designs frequently incorporate symbols that represent elements of their spiritual beliefs and culture, such as the Kokopelli, the rain clouds, and kachina figures.

Zuni Tribe

The Zuni tribe, also located in New Mexico, is famous for its skilled lapidary work, particularly stone inlay and carvings known as fetishes.

Inlay Techniques

Zuni inlay involves cutting stones precisely to fit into silver compartments, creating smooth, mosaic-like surfaces using turquoise, coral, onyx, and mother of pearl.

Fetishes

These are small carvings of animals and other figures believed to hold magical powers. They are often crafted from turquoise, coral, and other stones.

Petit Point

This refers to small, needlepoint turquoise set in intricate patterns, often found in earrings and necklaces.

Santo Domingo (Kewa) Tribe

The Santo Domingo, or Kewa Pueblo, are known for their traditional heishi beads, which are among the oldest forms of jewelry made in North America.

Heishi Beads

These are tiny beads made from a variety of materials, including shells, turquoise, and coral. The beads are ground down, drilled, and strung into necklaces and other ornaments.

Mosaic and Inlay Work

Similar to the Zuni, the Santo Domingo also create intricate inlaid patterns on shells or stones, often depicting traditional Pueblo designs.