Southwestern silver jewelry Silversmithing

The Navajo and Pueblo Indians were extremely resourceful in finding their materials and silver. Most often, silver coins were either melted down or used in the actual making of the jewelry. Sometimes they would receive payment in advance from traders in the form of silver tea pots, silver candle sticks, and especially silver coins. They would melt these materials down fur use in their jewelry making. In 1890, the United States Government passed a law making it illegal to deface US currency. This was nearly too impossible to enforce so the use of silver coins continued. Of all the materials, the Navajo preferred to use melted Mexican silver coins. These were the easiest of all the silver to work with (.90275 fine). In fact, US silver coins were at that time (.900 fine) and therefore were the least desirable. As soon as traders discovered the demand and interest in ornamental silver jewelry, they started to carry the needed tools and materials that the Navajo and Pueblo Indians most desired. As such, some of the most beautiful and unique Native American jewelry came out of this time. As such, this is really the beginning of a new economy between the traders, Indians and eastern suppliers.

Zuni Native American Jewelry got its beginning circa 1872. Atsidi Chon (Ugly Smith) shared his craft with a close Zuni friend by the name of Lanyade. The Zuni Indians were already quite accomplished as metal smiths. They were accustomed to working with copper, brass and iron prior to this time. It is said that Lanyade paid Ansidi one strong horse for teaching him the silversmithing craft. The Zuni Indians were able to add their unique touch and style to the jewelry making process. Native American Jewelry, as we know of it today, began to flourish. Soon after Lanyade became practiced in his silversmithing trade, he began touring the various pueblos of the Southwest to sell his jewelry. He taught the first Hopi silversmith, Sikyatala, on Hopi First Mesa at Sichomovi. Since Lanyade was taught by a Navajo as well as Sikyatala, all the jewelry was Navajo in style. Each tribe that learned the craft brought their unique talents and style to the making of their silver jewelry. This period of Native American Jewelry was Navajo in its style. (When collecting Native American Jewelry of this period, it is important to establish the proper provenance. Just because it might appear to be Navajo, does not mean that it is original Navajo. Many variations in silver jewelry followed.

At this stage in the development of Native American Silver Jewelry, silversmiths began using solder and began making silver dies. This was the first time that the silversmith was able to join two unique pieces. The result was a plethora of different design combinations. This was also the time that native American Jewelry started to use its characteristic stone setting techniques. After this time, it became more common to see the use of turquoise, coral and other stones to adorn the silver jewelry.

The use of dies was also significant. Dies were already being used in leather making and tin smithing. It didn’t take too long for such resourceful people to combine all of these disparate talents and crafts. Since early times, the Zuni Indians were very talented lapidaries. As Native American Silver Jewelry evolved, they started combining their lapidary skills with their silversmithing skills. Some of the most beautiful fine inlay work using stones and silver were created at this time.

In 1938, working with Hopi silversmiths, Paul Saufkie and Fred Kabote the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, Arizona, started to work with the Hopi to develop a unique Hopi style. The elements of design were adapted from the pottery shards found in the Sikyatki Pueblo ruins of the 15th and 16th centuries. These pre-Hopi designs were mostly kachina symbols, animal and clan motifs, and bird motifs. Many of the Native American Craftsmen today are also talented goldsmiths and lapidaries as well. Each artist takes his or her inspiration from the talented silversmiths of earlier times. Many of the wonderful designs today are influenced by many Native American cultures and styles.

1. Turquoise - A Brief Overview and History, Lee Anderson, November 1992 and: 1. John Adair, The Navajo and Pueblo Silversmiths, University of Oklahoma Press, 1944.
2. Carl Rosnek and Joseph Stacy, Skystone and Silver, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1976.
3. Margery Bedinger, Indian Silver, Navajo and Pueblo Jewelers, University of New Mexico Press, 1973.
4. Larry Frank, Indian Silver Jewelry of the Southwest, Schiffer Publishing Ltd., Westchester, Pennsylvania, 1990.

Please check out the first part of this article titled "History of Native American Jewelry".

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