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Some cultures just seem to have art as a part of daily life. I’ve always felt this to be true of the Native Americans . Especially their silver work, which is gorgeous.

There are a lot of different tribal styles- one of my favorites is the Hopi Indian jewelry . I imagine that this is a skill taught to the young people by elders skilled in the designs, which are reflective of their culture. At first it’s a little hard to tell what the designs are representing, but the more you look and observe, the more you will sort of “get into” their way of seeing life, and the more the jewelry itself seems to come alive.

What I like personally about the style is the way the antiqued part of the design shows up so well next to the bright and shiny parts. The lines are ussually bold and rather thick, giving a wonderful and hard to miss contrast. Most of the patterns or designs are somewhat geometric, but there are some nice curves that seem to represent waves but I’m told are actually meant to be clouds. I’ve seen this a number of times on rings and other pieces of their work.

I think the best place to see Hopi jewelry is right on the reservation in Arizona in one of the many shops you’ll find there. The other reason I like to buy things there (not that I get out there too often!) is that the money spent goes right to the artist and his family, instead of him getting a smaller percentage of the sale when it’s sold by a dealer.

And it’s worth it to get to meet some of these wonderful people and see what the environment is like that inspired the designs. This is very big country, with endless sky and flat topped mountains everywhere. The land seems a little stark at first but it certainly has its own beauty. I can imagine that it would be hard to live anywhere else after spending time in this beautiful land.

Navajo artisans also create some exquisite designs. Very different from their Hopi neighbors, but lovely and instantly recognizable as being from their tribe. However in recent years I’ve seen a little crossover from one tribe’s style to another.

I think of the bear paw design as being primarily Navajo in origin. And they make the loveliest belts. They look beautiful surrounding the waist of a Navajo woman in her traditional brightly colored velvet layered skirt. Of course turquoise is an important gemstone used in Navajo jewelry as well. Sterling silver and turquoise are absolutely exquisite together and are what most people think of when they put their attention on Indian Jewelry.

Zuni jewelry is colorful and whimsical, at least to the untrained eye. Undoubtedly there is tribal significance in their designs as well. I don’t own any Zuni jewelry but I’ve often admired it in many Southwestern shops.