Southwestern pendants have increasingly become a big part of mainstream fashion. Here at Jewelry of the Southwest we carry all types of sterling silver and gold pendants. Whether you are looking for lapis pendants, coral pendants, turquoise pendants, sterling silver pendants, multi-gem pendants or custom hand made pendants we have many options.
"Native American Pendants" is a term that brings to mind the silver and turquoise pendants 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 jewelry made from pieces of shell, turquoise and other materials for centuries. The major characteristic of Navajo pendants today is the emphasis on metal work. The Navajo pendants are designed to fit the stones. Stamp work, leaves and feathers fashioned of silver are used to accent turquoise and other stones. Their pendants 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 pendants. Hopi silver overlay pendants, and Navajo turquoise inlay pendants developed from the fusion of the new techniques with traditional designs.
