Navajo Indian Jewelry Biography
Source(google.com.pk)To the Navajo tribe, the color turquoise represents happiness, luck, and health. Turquoise is also the most common component of Native American Jewelry. The Navajo were talented in molding turquoise into beads, and making Heishi necklaces. Heishi necklaces were smooth necklaces with stitched beads.
In the mid to late nineteenth century, the Navajos had learned silversmithing from the Spanish and pueblos. After learning how to silversmith, the Navajos began to combine silver with the Navajo turquoise. The Navajo turquoise jewelry was only used for ceremonies and religious rituals before tourists took interest into the Navajo art.
Black, white, blue, and green were the colors within the turquoise stone which represent the colors of the natural world. A horseshoe-shaped symbol or a symbol called “Naja” appeared often in tradition Navajo jewelry. The symbol Naja was obtained from the Mexican culture, which represents good fortune.
Squash blossom necklaces and Navajo turquoise inlay rings were the two most famous styles of jewelry produced. The Squash blossom necklaces are made from silver and turquoise with the Naja symbol pendant.
The Navajo used coarse and rough tools for manufacturing jewelry before they were given tools from traders and other cultures, playing an important role in turquoise history. They make hammers and anvils out of railroad metal scrap.
Because of the tourists needs and wants, The Navajo have produced many styles unlike their traditional turquoise jewelry. The traditional Navajo turquoise jewelry usually contained more turquoise beads than silver. The modern Navajo Jewelry often included symbols that have little or nothing to do with Navajo culture, although you can still find genuine Navajo dealers today.
Navajo Indian Working Silver in 1940.
Photos Courtesy of Denver Museum Digital Archive and Library of Congress.
Although Native Americans were taught to work in silver by Mexican silversmiths during the
mid-nineteenth century, they were quick to change in the face of larger non-Indian social demands.
Navajo Indian Jewelry
For instance, Navajo Indian silversmiths, working from 1870 to 1900, learned the stamping of
Indian ornaments from Mexican leather workers, rather than from the silversmiths who had taught
them.
History of Indian jewellery is as old as the history of the country itself. Around 5000 years ago, the desire to adorn
themselves aroused in people, leading to the origin of jewellery. Since then, Indian women and jewellery have
gone hand in hand. There cannot be a woman in India, who does not adore herself with minimum jewellery. In
fact, jewellery is considered as security and prestige of women in the country. The attraction for jewellery has
been great in India that it is no more a craft than an art.
Indian jewellery is unique in its design and workmanship. In all kinds of traditional dance forms, jewellery has
been a significant part. Be it Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi or Kathak, all have given importance to jewellery in
presenting the artist. The sheer number of items forming the jewellery of an Indian woman is numerous, ranging
from earrings and necklaces to pieces for adorning the hair, hip, feet, and feet. Jewellery made with emeralds,
diamonds, pearls, rubies, sapphires and other precious and semi-precious stones have been in practice for long.
The range of jewellery in India varies from religious to purely aesthetic types. It is crafted not only for humans, but
also for the Gods, ceremonial elephants and horses. Royal class people have given patronage to the art of
jewellery since ancient times, when rajas and maharajas vied with each other to possess the most exquisite and
magnificent pieces. Regional differences can be observed in the making of jewellery, depending on the
differences in geography, people, culture, and their lifestyle.
While the designs in solid gold jewellery of Tamil Nadu and Kerala are inspired by nature, the Meenakari and
Kundan styles of jewellery making have been influenced by the Mughal dynasty. Then there is a huge range of
silver beads found all over India, especially in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. Their
availability leads to the development of the bead jewellery, popular till date.
While Assamese jewellery is influenced by local flora and fauna, Manipuri jewellery-makers make use of items
like shells, animal claws, teeth and precious and semi-precious stones. These huge varieties of ornaments bear
testimony to the excellent skill of the jewellers and craftspeople of the country. Indian jewellery in Gold,
diamonds, silver, sterling silver, precious stones, copper and semi-precious stones is a rage all over the world.
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