Native American jewelry is a valuable part of American history and is widely regarded as ceremonial adornment. The turquoise pendant necklace is utilized in artistic expression, sales and for personal decoration. The turquoise pendant necklace is primarily viewed as a cultural icon and indicates Native American culture’s development within modern America.
While the turquoise pendant necklace is a popular piece of Native American jewelry, Indigenous cultures have also created a wide variety of earrings, rings, pins, necklaces, ankle bracelets, and wrist bracelets, and have included a wide array of various colors and material additives to each jewelry piece.
The Turquoise Pendant Necklace Today
Native Americans continue to create turquoise pendant necklaces today, and often borrow or copy designs from other tribes. Indigenous tribes have, historically, borrowed turquoise pendant necklace styles from neighboring tribes. This practice has transcended American history and still occurs today.
Tribes still retain unique aesthetics, based upon individual jewelry style, and express different artistic virtues and cultural practices with each piece of jewelry. Turquoise pendant necklaces are sometimes used in display, personal adornment, religious ceremonies, and trade.
The turquoise pendant necklace is crafted from different natural materials and is created from vegetal fibers, hardwoods, precious rocks and metals. The Indigenous tribes of America have also incorporated various animal materials; bones, animal hides, and fur are widely used, and man-made additives like beadwork and quillwork also appear in stylistic renditions.
The turquoise pendant necklace is primarily crafted by metalsmiths and jewelers—due to its use of valuable metals and stones—and is also crafted by beaders, lapidaries, and carvers. The modern turquoise pendant necklace can be machine made, but is often created with hand-carved stones. Hand-quarried stones, shells and computer-crafted metals are also used to craft the turquoise pendant necklace as well.
Native American jewelry has survived many decades but originated in the pre-Columbian era. Many Native American turquoise pendant necklaces were crafted from hand-dug quarries, and constructed with mined turquoise, coral, and shells. The turquoise pendant necklace has been a valuable adornment across Native American cultures and normally consisted of claws, teeth, carved wood and animal teeth. The turquoise pendant necklace was often worn during religious ceremonies, and also bestowed religious virtue and beauty to the wearer.
Turquoise is a primary material utilized by the Southwestern Native Americans. Many turquoise pendant necklaces have been recovered from Native American Turquoise mines and have been discovered in sites birthed from Precolumbian times. The turquoise pendant necklace is a common fashion accessory and displays cultural knowledge and virtue. The Turquoise pendant necklace is commonly worn by both Native Americans and non-Native Americans and displays the unique tribal culture of its creators.