American Silversmithing
Western
Silver Information | Glossary
of Jewelry Terms | Society
of American Silversmiths | Durango
Silver Co. History | Rough
Gem Stones & Turquoise for Sale
American Southwest Silversmithing
Classic examples of silver work have been
found dating 4000 BC and beyond. American silversmithing began
shortly after 1492 when the United States began colonizing. Fine
examples of early American silverwork included daily living
utensils, furniture hardware and adornment. History shows silver has
been a precious metal used in adornment as far back in time as can
be detected. It has been used as a metal of choice by peoples
throughout the world for creating jewelry.
Silversmithing came to the Southwestern
United States from the Spaniards. It is a general consensus that the
first silversmith was Atsidi Sani (Navajo) who was introduced to
silver between 1850 and 1860. In the 19th century, silver
was made into items to adorn Native Americans as well as utensils to
assist them in daily life.
After the Indian war period, Indian
reservations came to be. Soon, traders to the Navajo realized their
silverwork was one of the items that were marketable for trade.
Shortly after 1800 Indian Trading Posts arose and the proprietors of
the Posts began encouraging the Natives to make silver adornments
and utensils for trade to the settlers.
Soon after, the railroad made its way
through the southwest to California. The Fred Harvey Co. as well as
others set up Trading Posts to sell Indian curios and jewelry to
tourists as the trains would stop for various reasons. Shortly after
the turn of the century route 66 was built and went through New
Mexico and Arizona and Indian Trading Posts went up one after
another.
Throughout the 20th century,
Indian Jewelry (Navajo, Hopi and Zuni) became one of the prime
crafts that tourists purchased while traveling through the
southwest. By the 1940’s, Indian Jewelry was being sold in retail
store and theme parks throughout Arizona, New Mexico, California and
beyond.
In the 1960’s, Indian Jewelry and
Turquoise had become very popular throughout the world. Turquoise
became highly sot after and prospectors began searching hard for
additional resources to supply the market. Turquoise was found in
Arizona, Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico.
Jewelry supply companies and rock shops
began to spring up throughout the southwest. Once silver, turquoise
and tools were readily available, jewelry making became a standard
occupation for the Native Americans as well as Anglos and Hispanics
of the southwest.
Jewelry production shops began springing up
throughout the southwest, which would be run primarily by Anglo
Americans. Better control of materials, use of production
techniques, and total control of the designs being made good sense
to the traders. Typically, shop owners hired Native Americans as
well as others to work in conjunction, in a production manner, to
create the designs developed by the shop owners based on customer
demand.
At the same time, individual (more artistic)
Native American Silversmiths continued to work out of their own
homes to create their own unique styles and designs. Collectors,
then and now, seek out these individual silversmiths for their
“one of a kind” pieces. Generally, “one of a kind” pieces
command much great value then production shop jewelry.
In the 1970’s, there was an explosion of
interest in Turquoise Jewelry of all sorts. This period brought the
interest level to never seen before heights. The industry grew
exponentially and it seemed as though there was a new gold rush.
Toward the later 1980’s, came a big shock
to the industry, the outside industrial world heard there was a lot
of money in the American Indian Craft market. They chose to copy the
Santa Domingo Indian beaded necklaces. The Santa Domingo Indians had
been making beads for many years by cutting turquoise, coral, shells
and other various materials into squares – drilling a hole in the
center – stringing on wire – then rolling them on a grinding
wheel. They had made quite an impression. Once we saw the first fake
Santa Domingo necklaces they started coming into the market by the
thousands. It literally destroyed the market for Santa Domingo
beadwork. Look at the bead industry now –WOW!
Next came the Navajo Rug imposters, Navajo
look a-likes were coming in from Mexico and then from the Middle
East. Fortunately the fakes were and still are easy to detect,
however, it still ruined the market for Navajo weavings as the fakes
were cheap and overwhelmed the marketplace. Today, Navajo weavings
are quickly becoming a thing of the past.
By the mid 1990’s, Navajo Jewelry had been
knocked off as well. Southwest style jewelry is now being made in
China, the Philippines, Korea and who knows where else.
In 2005, we find the active Native
American Silversmiths along with their associated industry here
in the southwest are making the finest quality jewelry since its
beginning. Although there are imposters copying Southwest Designs,
the Southwest artists are now learning new techniques from the imposters
as well. The southwest jewelry industry may be one they will not
take away.
A Bit of History
About Us
Western
Silver Information | Glossary
of Jewelry Terms | Society
of American Silversmiths | Durango
Silver Co. History | Birthstones
Shop
on our Ebay Store
Visit Our Catalog of our jewelry by clicking
the links below:
Belt Buckles
| Bracelets | Earrings
| Necklaces | Pendants
| Pins | Rings
