The Zuni people are a Native American group who live in the area around the Little Colorado River in New Mexico in the American southwest. A branch of the Pueblo people, the Zuni are farmers who have cultivated the area in which they now live for close to 4,000 years. The Zuni are also talented artists widely known for their jewelry making. Zuni turquoise jewelry is amazing and is prized by jewelry aficionados the world over. Zuni turquoise jewelry is known for its unique styling which was developed over thousands of years.
Zuni Turquoise Jewelry With Inlays
The Zuni people are masters of inlay stonework. You can see that technique in Zuni turquoise jewelry. Zuni turquoise jewelry combines turquoise with silver, abalone, fossilized ivory, green snail shells, melon shells, orange or purple spiny oyster, and pink coral. The most common colors used in Zuni turquoise jewelry are black, white, turquoise and red. Those colors are incorporated into Zuni turquoise jewelry for the symbolism they represent. Turquoise represents Father Sky, red represents Mother Earth and black and white represent other important Zuni deities.
Traditional Zuni Turquoise Jewelry
The Zuni are among a small group of Native American peoples who create turquoise and silver jewelry. Over the years, Zuni turquoise jewelry has become increasingly complex, intricate and nuanced. The best known type of traditional Zuni turquoise jewelry is called petit point. It employs extremely time consuming techniques that call for the creation of individual bezels to support tiny pieces of turquoise. Zuni turquoise jewelry is primarily made from sterling silver and natural turquoise drawn from a mine called Sleeping Beauty. The value of Zuni turquoise jewelry is not determined by the amount of turquoise or silver it contains, but by the intricacy of the work.
Necklaces And Other Types Of Zuni Turquoise Jewelry
One of the most popular types of Zuni turquoise jewelry is turquoise necklaces. For hundreds of years the Zuni have been making amazing turquoise necklaces with heishi beads, coral, bones, gemstones and silver. Zuni turquoise jewelry comes in many different styles. Authentic Zuni turquoise jewelry are some of the world’s most sought after hand-crafted collectable pieces of Native American work. Their unique necklaces, bracelets, earrings, pendants, pins and rings are made with Chrysocolla, Coral, Denim Lapis, Gold Lip Mother of Pearl, Orange Spiny Oyster, Jet, Spiny Oyster, Sterling Silver and Turquoise using techniques honed over thousands of years.