Native American Jewelry

Sunwest Silver Company, Inc. offers some of the most unique and authentic Native American jewelry in Albuquerque. Sunwest Silver has spent decades establishing and maintaining relationships with dozens of highly sought after Pueblo artisans in order to provide Native American jewelry of the highest mark. We procure the most outstanding and original pieces from many different jewelry making traditions including Zuni needlepoint cluster and inlay, ancestral beading and carving techniques, and the traditional Navajo silver styles. 

Authentic Jewelry Traditions

The Pueblo people are master silversmiths and have integrated both old and new traditions to create some of the most recognized and coveted silver jewelry today. Pioneering silver working, Native people are distinguished for their sophisticated, precise stamp work, and their use of the Repousse method. Another distinct and beautiful style of Native American jewelry is inlay jewelry. This is a popular style with its origins with the Pueblo people, who are highly regarded for their lapidary skills. Traditional stones such as onyx, turquoise, gaspeite, and shell are polished, cut, arranged in patterns and schemes, and then embedded in metal. Symbolism is often used in Native American jewelry, and can be found carved into the silver or shaped out of the stones. Symbols are used to express meanings and ideas. The Navajo people are master silversmiths, using metal design and stones to create their masterpieces. The Zuni people are known for soldering silver and gems into stylized animals, each of which has a story behind it. The Hopi tribe is well-known for carefully carving symbols into silver.

Stylistic Diversity

There is an incredible amount of variety and diversity among the jewelry making styles of the Native people of the Southwestern United States. They use many different tools, materials, and methods when producing their goods, and many of their techniques have been passed down from generation to generation. Native American jewelry is an inspiration for modern designers, and the patterns and design elements are striking and timeless. Each unique tribe has a distinct and exclusive facet, making every piece a treasure.

Explore the styles and varieties of Native American jewelry offered by Sunwest Silver Company, Inc. in person at our warehouse located in Albuquerque, NM.