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Indian Turquoise Jewelry Biography

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Native American Turquoise Jewelry History

Native American Turquoise Jewelry began about 200 BC as the Anasazi Indian Culture started mining Turquoise in that period of time. You can read more on Anasazi Turquoise on its presentation page. The Anasazi people started making Turquoise Jewelry as ornaments by hand grinding the Turquoise on common native rocks in their camps. Soon they learned how to drill holes in the Turquoise and started making Native American Turquoise Jewelry in the form of beads. We believe the Native American Indians of the Southwest began making Turquoise Beads around 100 BC and for certain by the turn of the millennium.

Turquoise was a sacred gemstone to the Native Americans from the beginning of the time when it was discovered. Similar to many other cultures before them in different areas of the world, the Native American Indians believed that this was a Skystone that came from the great ones above. Turquoise was worshipped and used as a healing stone by the Native American Indians just as it was over 7,500 years ago in the Holy Lands of the Middle East. Native American Turquoise Jewelry has been being made in different forms since the Anasazi times. You can read more on the ancient history of Turquoise on our presentation page.

Nomadic Native Americans traded Turquoise to other Native Americans in distant locations from the west coast of America east to Indian Tribes located east
of the Mississippi River. Turquoise was traded as far south as the bottom of the Yucatan Peninsula to the Mayans and even down into South America by 1000 A.D. Examples of Native American Turquoise Jewelry have been excavated by Archaeologists at many sites with Turquoise from the Cerrillos Turquoise Mine dating back well over a thousand years and this Turquoise was used for ceremonials, healing and adornments in the form of Turquoise Jewelry.

Native American Indian Turquoise Jewelry

The historic Native American Indian cultures, mainly the Santo Domingo Indians, began making Turquoise into Native American Turquoise Jewelry shortly after the Anasazi Indians moved
out of the Chaco Canyon and the Mesa Verde regions to the Rio Grande Valley regions of what we now know as New Mexico, this was in the early 1400 AD period. The Santo Domingo Pueblo was located just south of the Cerrillos Turquoise Mine as well as just south of Santa Fe, which, was a major Trade Route.

It is believed that the Santa Domingo Indians were making Native American Turquoise Jewelry and trading Turquoise in the form of Jewelry in the 1500's AD It is certain they were trading and marketing their Native American Indian Turquoise Jewelry in Santa Fe by 1650 AD Native Turquoise Jewelry spread to distant areas of America quickly once the Santo Domingo Indians began trading their Turquoise wears to other nomadic traders on the Santa Fe Trail.

The Navajo Indians acquired Turquoise through nomadic trading prior to 1500 AD and were using it for ceremonial and medicinal purposes. It is certain the first Native American Turquoise Jewelry was Turquoise Beads that were traded from the Santo Domingo Indians. Strong evidence of Turquoise Beads have been found in early Navajo Medicine Mens bundles dating prior to 1700 AD You can read more about the Santo Domingo Indians and their Santo Domingo Jewelry on these presentation pages we have made.

Historic records show the Navajo worshipped Turquoise and were wearing Santo Domingo Turquoise Beaded Necklaces, as well as their own Navajo made Native American Turquoise Jewelry regularly by 1750 AD. As settlers came west they were in need for Blacksmiths to repair their wagons and traveling gear, many Navajos picked up the Blacksmithing trade to make money from the new settlers coming west. It was about 1860 when a Navajo Indian, Atsadi Sani, learned how to work with Silver to make ornaments for horse gear and soon for self adornment. Navajo made Native American Turquoise Jewelry became highly sought after quickly by the Navajo people to be worn as adornments and also became a status symbol of wealth.

Shortly after the turn of the 20th century, tourism began in the Southwestern regions of the United States mainly due to the opening of Grand Canyon National Park and demand for Native American Turquoise Jewelry increased dramatically. Navajo Indians as well as Zuni Indians and then the Hopi Indians began to make Jewelry in their homes and soon after production shops, created by Anglo Americans, began making Turquoise Jewelry to fill this great new market for Native American Turquoise Jewelry. By 1920, Turquoise Jewelry was being produced in high volume by both Native American Indians as well as Anglo Americans and even Mexican Americans in many villages, towns and cities throughout Southwestern USA.

Today in 2011, the Native American Turquoise Jewelry Market is strong but tarnished. Many factors of the evolution of the world has changed the Native American Turquoise Jewelry market as we once knew it. Globalization has had a big impact on Native American Turquoise Jewelry industry. China, India, Philippines, Korea, Vietnam and many other countries now produce Turquoise Jewelry and much of it is cheap imitation copies of Native American Turquoise Jewelry. Make certain if you are paying good money for Turquoise jewelry or Sterling Silver Jewelry - it is real Turquoise and real Sterling Silver.