Southwest Rings

Southwest Rings

No single piece of jewelry probably carries more history, tradition, or symbolism than the Southwest American Indian ring. Through time the ring has represented many different things to its wearers, serving as simple adornments, symbols of status or office, tokens of trade, and declarations of religion. Southwest American Indian Indians have long embraced the ring in their culture and artistry, and have taken the simple jewelry form to a high level of art via elaborate creations in silver and stone, most notably executed by Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, and Pueblo Indians. The Navajo are widely regarded to have elevated the craftsmanship of the Southwest American Indian ring. After coming in contact with Spanish Conquistadors in the 16th century, the Navajo adapted the designs of these European explorers, some based upon Moorish influences, into their own. Two hundred years later, Navajo Indians began melting silver coins, many of them obtained from Mexican traders and silversmiths, the latter known as plateros, with whom they had come in contact, and incorporated the precious but very malleable metal into their ring making. This was a key step in the development and diversity of Southwest American Indian rings. Soldering is one of the most difficult techniques to master in jewelry-making, and a crucial element to increasing ring design complexity. Through constant refinement by their silversmiths, by the turn of the 19th century the Navajo had mastered the technique of soldering, allowing Southwest American Indian artisans to increase the complexity of all jewelry designs, including the ability to set stones within rings. This was a key step in the development and diversity of Southwest American Indian Indian rings