Native American Jewellery
There are many different styles of Native American jewellery and this is due to the many different American Indian tribes that handcrafted their own styles of jewelry. One of the most commonly seen of all the Native American jewellery is the bright and colorful beaded necklaces that started out being crafted by the Native American Indians hundreds of years ago. These colorful beaded necklaces are still worn today by many people, and there is no doubt that these necklaces in society today are directly influenced by the Native American jewellery that adorned the necks of the American Indians for so long. When these beaded necklaces were made at first they were not very colorful due to lack of materials, so at first many of them were just hand carved wood beads that were of average color. Soon different types of dyes were discovered that could be made from different plants and they learned to dye the wood beads, and then eventually as settlers arrived and travelers began exploring the New World the native Americans were introduced to the bright and colorful glass beads.
Sterling silver Native American jewellery is also a very popular form of jewellery and some of the American Indian tribes are masters at the art of silversmithing. Authentic silver American Indian jewelry is all handcrafted by Native Americans and they learned the trade of silversmithing from Spanish settlers hundreds of years ago. This was another one of the many Native American arts and crafts that is passed on from generation to generation, and the popularity of the Native American jewellery keeps the tradition going strong. Not all of the silver jewellery is just plain silver; many of these handcrafted pieces have precious stones such as turquoise incorporated into them. When you are looking for an authentic piece of American Indian jewelry you will know if it is the real thing because these pieces of jewellery are usually one of a kind and will come with a certificate of authenticity.
Please send any comments directly to the author, Joseph Paige.

