Native American Indian Turquoise and Silver Jewelry
Native American Indian turquoise and silver jewelry is some of the most highly sought after cultural jewelry made today.
Many cultures combine silver and turquoise into jewelry and you can purchase some gorgeous handmade pieces as seen in our turquoise jewelry showcase, it is the Native American jewelry that is most closely associated with this combination. Although Native American Indian jewelry is still made with turquoise and silver, and some of that is avidly sought after, the vintage pieces from the 1940’s are quite popular as well.
Turquoise has been used in jewelry and carvings for over 6000 years! Well known for it’s use in Native American Indian turquoise and silver jewelry, this beautiful stone was also used by the ancient Egyptians and evidence of jewelry adorned with turquoise has been found in Egyptian tombs. In it’s natural state, turquoise is rather porous and most modern turquoise is stabilized in order to make it hard enough to use in jewelry. Turquoise can be sky blue, green or even yellow and has dark black or brown veins running through it.
Along with it’s beauty, turquoise has powerful healing properties. It is used by new age healers to treat the respiratory, digestive and skeletal systems and is thought to help those with asthma as well as fight infections. It is said that wearing turquoise can help with speech and anyone that has trouble speaking in public should wear plenty of turquoise jewelry! This stone can also help you keep a positive attitude and enhances your feeling of self and inner happiness. It is reputed to improve friendships and enhance the bond between people.
When shopping for Native American Indian turquoise and silver jewelry, keep in mind that most stones need to be treated before they can be used in jewelry. Most raw stones are too porous and would chip too easily so they are “stabilized” in a process that treats them with a resinous substance. This is quite common and accepted practice for these stones. Be aware however, that some inferior stones are also dyed to make them more desirable and other stones such as howlite which is similar in structure to turquoise is also dyed and passed off as turquoise. Another common practice is to use ground up inferior stones to make “reconstituted turquoise” which combines the ground up powder with an epoxy and molds it into a stonelike form. This jewelry can look nice but does not have the value of real stones. Turquoise is found in North America (Arizona and New Mexico) China, Iran, Turkey, Egypt and Persia.
Turquoise is a fragile gemstone and care should be taken when cleaning it. Due to it’s porous nature, it can be damaged by chemical cleaners and steam or electric jewelry cleaning devices. The tried and true method for cleaning Native American Indian turquoise and silver jewelry is to put some warm and slightly soapy water on a Q tip and swap it gently across the jewelry. Clean off any soap by wiping the jewels with a damp Q-tip. Never submerge your turquoise jewelry in water or any other liquid as this can cause moisture to form in the cracks and crevices and may cause deterioration problems further down the road. Always dry your turquoise thoroughly after cleaning.
Other Interesting Articles:
Buying A Turquoise Pendant Necklace?
Wearing unique handmade jewelry can help you make a statement and express how unique you really are. Find out more about the history, processing and healing properties of turquoise.
The New Popularity Of The Turquoise Color
This color is a must have for spring and summer clothing, jewelry and accessories. As a color for jewelry, the turquoise stone is an outstanding gem and can be combined with other stones or used alone.
Raw Turquoise Stones
Raw turquoise stones can be quite a bit different than the stones that you see in jewelry. In their natural form, these stones can be porous and chalky. Depending on the quality of the stone, they may need to be treated in order to be used in jewelry.
Native American Turquoise Jewelry
Native American turquoise jewelry of all ages is highly collectible and very wearable. Although the vintage and antique pieces are highly valued and sought after, the newly made Native American turquoise pieces are just as prized and many are just as valuable.
The Turquoise Gem Stone
Find out the history, processing and healing powers of this sought after stone. Feat your eyes on turquoise jewelry!
The Birthstone Turquoise
Turquoise is the birthstone for the month of December and a popular stone used in jewelry making. Birthstone jewelry has been worn for centuries and while December has also been associate with the birtstones lapis lazuli, blue topaz and zircon, The American National Association of Jewelers formulated a standard list of birthstones in 1912 and named Turquoise as the birthstone for December.
Loose Turquoise Stones
Loose turquoise stones in their natural form, can be quite a bit different than the stones that end up in jewelry as they can be porous and chalky. In order to keep them from breaking and chipping, they are typically treated before they are used in jewelry.
Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Beads
Named for the mine it comes from, these beads and stones are well sought after for jewelry making and a favorite of the Zuni Pueblo silver makers who incorporate it into their traditional inlay jewelry.
Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Mine
The Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Mine located in Arizona is one of the largest turquoise mines in North American and produces a stunning sky blue turquoise that has no matrix and is referred to as “Sleeping Beauty Turquoise”.
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