Southwestern earrings have increasingly become a big part of mainstream fashion. Here at Jewelry of the Southwest we carry all types of sterling silver and gold earrings. Whether you are looking for lapis earrings, coral earrings, turquoise earrings, sterling silver earrings, multi-gem earrings or custom hand made earrings we have many options.
"Native American Earrings" is a term that brings to mind the silver and turquoise earrings of the Navajo and Pueblo Indians of the American Southwest. Craftspeople from the Navajo, Zuni, Hopi and Santo Domingo tribes have gained a world-wide reputation for their unique jewelry. In addition to the pieces fashioned by these people, many fine examples of Southwest pendants are also created by members of other Indian tribes.
Southwestern Indians have worn earrings made from pieces of shell, turquoise and other materials for centuries. The major characteristic of Navajo earrings today is the emphasis on metal work. The Navajo earrings are designed to fit the stones. Stamp work, leaves and feathers fashioned of silver are used to accent turquoise and other stones. Their earrings are characterized by the making of round beads from turquoise, coral, shell and other materials which are strung together into strands for necklaces, pendants and earrings. The most common beads are called heishi. These are disks or tubes with a hole in the center. They are strung together to form a flexible strand and are often of graduated size. It is not uncommon to find pieces of coral or turquoise nuggets strung with the heishi, or simply strands of polished turquoise nuggets.
After Navajo, Hopi and Pueblo artists learned silversmithing from the Spanish in the 1800s, metal pendant arts blossomed in the Southwest, and distinctive native earrings. Hopi silver overlay earrings, and Navajo turquoise inlay earrings developed from the fusion of the new techniques with traditional designs.
