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History of Native American Turquoise Jewelry in the Usa

The Beautiful blue and green hues ofwhen they were discontinued for the most part
turquoise have long been prized by the Nativeby most Indian artisans for requiring too
American peoples of the southwestern part ofmuch  work  and  too  much  turquoise.
the USA. Entire cultures were built on mining
turquoise and crafting sacred and specialIn the 1920's and 1930's, the concho belt
items from the attractive stone in areaschanged from a simple silver belt to a more
which are now part of both New Mexico andornate belt with one to multiple turquoise
Nevada. American Indian peoples were makingstones in all the individual sections of the
necklace strands and other turquoise jewelrybelt. The tourist jewelry of that era is
by hand many centuries before the firsthighly collectable today. It began to be
European settlers arrived. Because turquoisenoticed that sales of Native American jewelry
was so highly prized, it was widely exchangedhad significant potential to provide a
and circulated among the Native peoples ofreliable income source to tribal members
the Americas, and the each of the tribesacross Arizona and New Mexico. During those
developed their own unique names for theyears, schools and classes were established
striking blue stone. Scientific testing hasat several reservations to train young men in
proven that some ancient beads found inthe trade of making Native American style
central and South America were originally dugSterling and turquoise jewelry. In the
from the Cerrillos turquoise mines near Santafollowing decades, many very talented artists
Fe,  New  Mexico.came out of these schools. During the years
following WWII, many Americans traveled
When the Europeans brought the technology ofacross the country, and on their trips
working metals like silver with them to thethrough the Arizona-New Mexico area,
new world, the American Indians who learneddiscovered that local traders had rooms full
the silver smith trade learned eventuallyof this Native American jewelry, which the
began to add turquoise with the silver totraders called pawn pieces. Most of these
develop their own special style of jewelry. Awere jewelry pieces the Indian people made
Zuni man by the name of Kineshde is believedfor themselves and pawned for one of two
to be the first to add turquoise to the handreasons: either they needed money, or it was
crafted silver items he was making in theconsidered a safe storage place. As a result
late  1800s.of the popularity of these pawn pieces, a
host of trading posts sprang up in the
Turquoise first came into popular highSouthwest and knowledge of this unique style
fashion in the US during the early 1890s, butof jewelry became much more widespread. New
Persian turquoise was the focus of the demandjewelry was also created to meet the growing
at that time, and only a few deposits of hightourist demand. Those who appreciated the
quality turquoise were known in the US. Inbeautiful American turquoise began to
the following years, a number of high qualityrecognize the general differences in matrix
deposits previously worked by Nativepatterns and color, etc. between the
Americans were "rediscovered", and shortlydifferent mine sources. During this time,
after 1900 and Americans began to recognizewhich extended to the early 1950's, turquoise
that American turquoise from the Western USbegan to be named, for sales purposes, after
was the equal of any in the world. Interestthe mine in which it was found, such as Lone
again began to peak around 1908-1910, and aMountain,  Royston,  Blue  Gem,  and  others.
considerable amount of American turquoise was
mined, especially in Nevada. The majority ofAn increasing number of American Indians
the Turquoise jewelry produced prior to 1910continued to handcraft silver jewelry in the
was made by well-known jewelry manufacturing1950s and early 1960's in the traditional
companies like Tiffany's, and was produced inway. Up to that time their work was generally
the standard Victorian styles of those times.popular only in the southwest region of the
US, but the increasing amount of material
None of this was what we would recognize asavailable began to enable a larger audience
Indian style turquoise jewelry. There were ato see and appreciate this beautiful style of
few Native Americans making turquoise andjewelry art. Even so, it did not become
silver pieces in what we now see as thewidely popular across the entire US until the
traditional style, but they produced very fewlate 1960's and early 1970's. At that time
pieces and their very simple tools increasedthe simple and natural beauty of turquoise
the man hours each piece needed forjewelry became the rage of the American
completion. That era was essentially the dawnfashion scene. The prices of the old pawn
of the traditional styles forjewelry rocketed upward, and a craze for
silver-turquoise jewelry. America'sIndian turquoise jewelry swelled and boosted
fascination with turquoise and genuine Indiandemand (and prices) for turquoise to
Jewelry really began in earnest during thepreviously  undreamed  levels.
1920's when more people from outside the
southwest began to see the beauty of thisThe increased prices and demand caused the
artistic jewelry. At that time, the Harveyre-opening of many mines and the import of
House restaurant chain opened a number ofIndian "style" jewelry made by manufacturers
facilities across the southwest during thein Mexico, Taiwan, and the Philippines. In
great days of popular rail travel across thetime, the market became glutted, the consumer
US. At first, Indian Jewelry was only sold aswas confused by overpriced synthetic,
curios in the restaurants for the patronsstabilized and plastic imitation materials
touring the west. Earrings and thin, smalland by 1981 the supply was high but the
bracelets stamped with arrows and bows anddemand was gone. The market collapsed and
containing symmetrically cut small ovalmost of the American turquoise mines were
pieces of turquoise were the types most inshut down and have remained closed since that
demand. The pieces produced during this timetime. Turquoise demand hit a low water mark
are still termed as having been made in thein the early 1980s, but has been slowly and
"Fred Harvey" style. Heavy Indian Jewelry didsteadily increasing in popularity since that
not become popular until after 1925, when thetime. Most American mines have remained
classic squash-blossom necklaces were firstclosed, and in recent years high demand for
brought to the tourist market. Thenatural American turquoise has caused once
squash-blossom craze lasted until about 1940,again significant increases in prices.



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