Native Jewelry

A lot of people often find themselves frustrated by the so called “rules” of fashion. People often say, for example, that you shouldn’t mix a brown belt with black shoes. Or perhaps they warn against jeans that don’t contain any back pockets. To the people that don’t follow fashion carefully, all of these rules can feel arbitrary and random. And one of these rules applies to sterling silver.

As such, you’re not supposed to mix silver and gold pieces of jewelry. So according to this rule, your sterling silver earrings should never be matched with your gold wedding band. But the good things about these rules are that the truly fashion forward minds can bend and break the rules in innovative and creative ways. That’s why so many jewelers have made a concerted effort to create one piece of jewelry that incorporates both silver and gold elements. I like to include a lot of pieces that accentuate the gemstone, not the band or chain, such as turquoise necklaces. By breaking this longstanding rule, the result is often something unique and innovative.

Accessorizing can make a boring outfit a dazzling outfit. There are several ways a person may choose to accessorize their outfit. Belts, purses, shoes, hair clips, and jewelry are all common ways people choose to accessorize their outfits. During the summer season, bracelets can jazz up a sundress or a shorts and shirt outfit—my personal favorite is my ensemble that features several turquoise bracelets. There a few things you may want to consider before wearing a bracelet:

1.) Wear short sleeves or ¾ inch sleeves in order to reveal your bracelet. A long sleeved shirt or bulky sweater will hide you bracelet.
2.) If you have bigger-boned wrists, wear slim bracelets like handmade sterling silver bracelets. If you have slim wrists wear chunky bangle bracelets.
3.) If you are wearing a bracelet that draws attention, make sure that your nails are in good condition. You don’t want to draw attention to your hands if your fingers are grubby with nails coated in chipped polish.
4.) Cluster several attractive bracelets together for an eye-catching arrangement. The bracelets should be similar in color and style.

In “The Song of Hiawatha”, a popular poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the character of Hiawatha is actually drawn from the writings of Henry R. Schoolcraft, who had confused the real Hiawatha with a Chippewa deity.  Longfellow’s version of events and character, therefore, in any way relates to the great Iroquois reformer.  Unfortunately, there are no known images of Hiawatha.
Hiawatha was a skilled statesman and charismatic orator who was instrumental in persuading the Iroquois peoples, the Senecas, Cayugas, Onondagas, Oneidas, and Mohawks, a group of Native North Americans who shared similar languages, to accept The Great Peacemaker’s vision and band together to become the Five Nations of the Iroquois confederacy. Thus the notion of the native politics emerges.
In our mind’s eye we can see Hiawatha on the banks of a river but also, perhaps, a maiden on the other bank  resplendent in Native clothing and Native Jewelry waiting for her love on the other side.
We can all enjoy the Native Jewelry even in this modern day as the ability to work with silver and gems has been handed down from generation to generation.  Some of the most gifted silversmiths are native and they are proud to share their culture with anyone who so desires.

Isn’t it true that we look to the older people in any natuionality for their wisdom?  This is just another awesome example of wisdom brought on through years of observing life in general.   This type of Native American Tapestry is very typicalof the humor found in the native minds and homes

A woman’s wedding day is easily one of the most memorable events of her life. It’s the time when all eyes are on her – when the ceremony is planned right down to the minutest detail. Traditionally, women dedicate plenty of time and thought to picking out the perfect wedding dress. Shouldn’t they devote similar resources and effort to narrowing down the best accessories as well?

Engagement rings will always be the star of the show. They are often flashy and anchored with an expensive diamond. It’s therefore up to the bride to complement the look of the ring with other jewelry. A sterling silver cuff bracelet plays elegantly off a silver banded ring, and some understated silver earrings work to round out the look. In all likelihood, you’ll only be taking this one trip down the aisle. Make it a memorable one.

While relations between white Americans and American Indians haven’t always been peaceful and pleasant, the two cultures have undoubtedly influenced each other in a number of ways. Settlers learned much of what they knew about skilled horsemanship and crafts from the Native Americans who came before. In turn, some Indians were moved to renounce their faith in pagan deities and embrace the Christian monotheism.

Nowhere is the link between the two cultures more apparent than the world of jewelry, where silver and turquoise pieces bear the stamp of time-honored tradition. Native American watches feature the proud faces of cowboys, Indians and other iconic figures of the fabled Old West. They should be appreciated by historians, collectors and watch enthusiasts alike.

All peoples of the world hold an intriguing history of their own, and the American Indian is certainly no exception. For many years, since the majority of the Indian side of “history” is oral and pictorial, history books written primarily by European whites provided our only glimpse into the world of  Native Americans.  Other media too, before the notion of “political correctness,” portrayed the American Indian in a variety of stereotypical and slanted ways. While, the reverse and perhaps “romanticization” of American Indian life of recent years hasn’t always produced a complete or unbiased look either. It has, however, opened the door to a greater interest in notable and intriguing Native American individuals.  These little biographies offer a glimpse of some of those who lived among the drums and fires and experienced a world few have seen and fewer still remember.
Because the “history” of Native Americans was oral and pictorial, expertise and manufacture of Native Crafts have been handed down by word of mouth also.
Such Native Crafts as Sterling Silver Belt Buckles, Sterling Silver Rings with a variety of gems, Sterling Silver Bracelets and also Native American Tapestries and Rugs and Pottery, to name just a few.

For those of you who prefer a more sentimental value to their jewelry,  a charm bracelet carries personal charms, which are decorative pendants or trinkets that can remind the wearer of important things and events in the wearer’s life. Italian charm bracelets have become the “in” thing in recent years. While traditional charms dangle, Italian charms feature individual pieces soldered flat onto the surface of the link.

Bracelets that are in solid form, usually some form of metal such as Gold or Sterling Silver, are referred to as bangles or bangle bracelets. They can be smooth, textured, or set with stones and are often worn several at a time. In India, glass bangle bracelets are common. Made from ordinary glass that is about 1/4 to 1/8 inch in width, they are worn in groups so that arm movement causes them to make a pleasant sound rather like the clinking of wind chimes.
Today, women’s fashion statements are about them! A woman’s bracelet wardrobe can be what ever she wants. One day may be a dainty Turquoise Sterling Silver Tennis bracelet, and the next day may be a Chunky Turquoise Nugget bracelet.

Native American Bracelets are a charming addition to bracelets for anyone.

While wristwatches could still be deemed practical, they are becoming an overwhelmingly aesthetics-driven accessory. These days people are engaged in texting or surfing the Internet on their iPhones and BlackBerries; with a digital clock sitting right in front of one’s face, who needs a real timepiece? Of course there’s a charm about analog clocks that a sterile set of digital numbers just can’t match.

It’s also nice to have a fashion accessory to highlight one’s wrist. Turquoise watches are especially tasteful – the subtle stones complement a sterling silver band with natural elegance. Wristwatches serve as a conversation piece. It’s perfectly acceptable to ask a stranger for the time, and from there you might strike up a conversation about the style of watch he or she is wearing.

The Kokopelli was a flute playing trickster of Southwest legend. The famous hunchbacked flute player, is a symbol of joy and fertility  It is said that he was so charming that he could charm an eagle or the wind itself. He is one of the most intriguing and widespread images surviving from ancient Anasazi Indian mythology, and is a prominent figure in Hopi legends. The figure represents a mischievous trickster or the Minstrel, spirit of music. Kokopelli is considered a symbol of fertility who brought well-being to the people, assuring success in hunting, planting and growing crops, and human conception. This mythological creature is thousands of years old but oh so much in the present also.  Wearing a piece of Native American Jewelry with a Kokopelli featured surely could be called a good luck charm