| The Beautiful blue and green hues of | | | | when they were discontinued for the most part |
| turquoise have long been prized by the Native | | | | by most Indian artisans for requiring too |
| American peoples of the southwestern part of | | | | much work and too much turquoise. |
| the USA. Entire cultures were built on mining | | | | |
| turquoise and crafting sacred and special | | | | In the 1920's and 1930's, the concho belt |
| items from the attractive stone in areas | | | | changed from a simple silver belt to a more |
| which are now part of both New Mexico and | | | | ornate belt with one to multiple turquoise |
| Nevada. American Indian peoples were making | | | | stones in all the individual sections of the |
| necklace strands and other turquoise jewelry | | | | belt. The tourist jewelry of that era is |
| by hand many centuries before the first | | | | highly collectable today. It began to be |
| European settlers arrived. Because turquoise | | | | noticed that sales of Native American jewelry |
| was so highly prized, it was widely exchanged | | | | had significant potential to provide a |
| and circulated among the Native peoples of | | | | reliable income source to tribal members |
| the Americas, and the each of the tribes | | | | across Arizona and New Mexico. During those |
| developed their own unique names for the | | | | years, schools and classes were established |
| striking blue stone. Scientific testing has | | | | at several reservations to train young men in |
| proven that some ancient beads found in | | | | the trade of making Native American style |
| central and South America were originally dug | | | | Sterling and turquoise jewelry. In the |
| from the Cerrillos turquoise mines near Santa | | | | following 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 of | | | | across the country, and on their trips |
| working metals like silver with them to the | | | | through the Arizona-New Mexico area, |
| new world, the American Indians who learned | | | | discovered that local traders had rooms full |
| the silver smith trade learned eventually | | | | of this Native American jewelry, which the |
| began to add turquoise with the silver to | | | | traders called pawn pieces. Most of these |
| develop their own special style of jewelry. A | | | | were jewelry pieces the Indian people made |
| Zuni man by the name of Kineshde is believed | | | | for themselves and pawned for one of two |
| to be the first to add turquoise to the hand | | | | reasons: either they needed money, or it was |
| crafted silver items he was making in the | | | | considered 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 high | | | | Southwest and knowledge of this unique style |
| fashion in the US during the early 1890s, but | | | | of jewelry became much more widespread. New |
| Persian turquoise was the focus of the demand | | | | jewelry was also created to meet the growing |
| at that time, and only a few deposits of high | | | | tourist demand. Those who appreciated the |
| quality turquoise were known in the US. In | | | | beautiful American turquoise began to |
| the following years, a number of high quality | | | | recognize the general differences in matrix |
| deposits previously worked by Native | | | | patterns and color, etc. between the |
| Americans were "rediscovered", and shortly | | | | different mine sources. During this time, |
| after 1900 and Americans began to recognize | | | | which extended to the early 1950's, turquoise |
| that American turquoise from the Western US | | | | began to be named, for sales purposes, after |
| was the equal of any in the world. Interest | | | | the mine in which it was found, such as Lone |
| again began to peak around 1908-1910, and a | | | | Mountain, Royston, Blue Gem, and others. |
| considerable amount of American turquoise was | | | | |
| mined, especially in Nevada. The majority of | | | | An increasing number of American Indians |
| the Turquoise jewelry produced prior to 1910 | | | | continued to handcraft silver jewelry in the |
| was made by well-known jewelry manufacturing | | | | 1950s and early 1960's in the traditional |
| companies like Tiffany's, and was produced in | | | | way. 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 as | | | | available began to enable a larger audience |
| Indian style turquoise jewelry. There were a | | | | to see and appreciate this beautiful style of |
| few Native Americans making turquoise and | | | | jewelry art. Even so, it did not become |
| silver pieces in what we now see as the | | | | widely popular across the entire US until the |
| traditional style, but they produced very few | | | | late 1960's and early 1970's. At that time |
| pieces and their very simple tools increased | | | | the simple and natural beauty of turquoise |
| the man hours each piece needed for | | | | jewelry became the rage of the American |
| completion. That era was essentially the dawn | | | | fashion scene. The prices of the old pawn |
| of the traditional styles for | | | | jewelry rocketed upward, and a craze for |
| silver-turquoise jewelry. America's | | | | Indian turquoise jewelry swelled and boosted |
| fascination with turquoise and genuine Indian | | | | demand (and prices) for turquoise to |
| Jewelry really began in earnest during the | | | | previously undreamed levels. |
| 1920's when more people from outside the | | | | |
| southwest began to see the beauty of this | | | | The increased prices and demand caused the |
| artistic jewelry. At that time, the Harvey | | | | re-opening of many mines and the import of |
| House restaurant chain opened a number of | | | | Indian "style" jewelry made by manufacturers |
| facilities across the southwest during the | | | | in Mexico, Taiwan, and the Philippines. In |
| great days of popular rail travel across the | | | | time, the market became glutted, the consumer |
| US. At first, Indian Jewelry was only sold as | | | | was confused by overpriced synthetic, |
| curios in the restaurants for the patrons | | | | stabilized and plastic imitation materials |
| touring the west. Earrings and thin, small | | | | and by 1981 the supply was high but the |
| bracelets stamped with arrows and bows and | | | | demand was gone. The market collapsed and |
| containing symmetrically cut small oval | | | | most of the American turquoise mines were |
| pieces of turquoise were the types most in | | | | shut down and have remained closed since that |
| demand. The pieces produced during this time | | | | time. Turquoise demand hit a low water mark |
| are still termed as having been made in the | | | | in the early 1980s, but has been slowly and |
| "Fred Harvey" style. Heavy Indian Jewelry did | | | | steadily increasing in popularity since that |
| not become popular until after 1925, when the | | | | time. Most American mines have remained |
| classic squash-blossom necklaces were first | | | | closed, and in recent years high demand for |
| brought to the tourist market. The | | | | natural American turquoise has caused once |
| squash-blossom craze lasted until about 1940, | | | | again significant increases in prices. |