Look at yourself in Native American jewelry
Long before Europeans came to the fertile land of North America, there were vibrant indigenous cultures that thrived on the land. There is historical evidence dating back to 8800 BC. C. that the Paleo-Indians drilled and shaped multicolored stones and shells. These stones would be strung together as beads on pendants and other miscellaneous body adornments. These were some of the earliest forms of jewelry on this continent. There have been many changes and innovations as the hands of time have advanced, but the rich tradition of craftsmanship lives on and well within the tribes that continue to create Native American jewelry.
Before the tribes used metal smiths, the common materials used in the adornment of their bodies were shells, stones, bones, and carved wood. The materials used and the style of the pieces created vary from region to region, as well as from tribe to tribe.
The Indians of the Great Plains are most famous for their beadwork. Using trade with the Gulf Coast tribes, the Plains Indians were able to trade various types of shells, which were highly valued for jewelry purposes. Porcupine bones and quills were the main materials used in the creation of various chokers, breastplates, earrings, and necklaces.
The Northeastern Woodlands Indians are best known for their work with wampum. Wampum refers to the white shells of the channeled whelk, but in modern times, it has also come to refer to the purple beads made from Quahog clam shells. Wampum pieces were highly sought after and were valuable commercial pieces in the eastern forests and Great Lakes regions.
The tribes of the southwest were the first indigenous groups to come into contact with goldsmithing practices, and very quickly it became the main material used to produce body adornments in the region. The Spanish introduced the practice in the early 1800s and after that, Native American jewelry would never be the same again. The ability to work silver was so highly valued that tribes traded livestock in exchange for instructions on how to work the precious metal.
Turquoise and stone work is also very popular in the body adornment art of the Southwestern tribes. Combined with silver, these pieces are arguably the most iconic examples of Native American jewelry, as depicted in popular media re-enactments and on display in many major museums across the country.
You can own your own piece of Native American jewelry today. Local tribes still practice the craft of creating these pieces and they can be purchased. If these pieces interest you, look for tribes in your area or local stores where native pieces are sold.
