Native American Turquoise Jewelry

Native American turquoise jewelry of all ages is highly collectible and very wearable. Although the vintage and antique pieces are highly valued and sought after, the newly made Native American turquoise pieces are just as prized and many are just as valuable. The turquoise jewelry made by Native Americans has many different styles and once you begin collecting, you will easily be able to spot the difference difference between Navajo and Zuni styles. Of course, turquoise jewelry is made the world over and you can see beautiful examples of handmade jewelry from around the world in our turquoise jewelry showcase.

Extensively used in ancient Egypt, Persia and by Native Americans, turquoise has been a popular stone for over 6000 years. Incorporated into jewelry by the ancient Egyptians, this stone was so treasured that it has been found in jewelry piece inside Egyptian tombs. Native Americans have used it for jewelry making as well as carved fetishes and beads and, in fact, tourist jewelry from the 1940’s and 50’s made by Native Americans and incorporating turquoise and sterling silver is highly sought after by collectors today. This beautiful stone ranges from sky blue to green to yellow and has dark veins running through it. It can be used alone or in conjunction with a variety of other gemstones to create fabulous handmade jewelry.

For centuries, turquoise has been used to heal all kinds of ailments by Native Americans and New age healers who use it for the skeletal, digestive and respiratory systems. It is said to help remove toxins from smoking and other pollutants from the body. The stone is also said to help improve your attitude as well as enhance creativity. It is reputed to bring you inner awareness and help strengthen friendships. Turquoise is reputed to help those who have trouble speaking in public, improve empathy and honesty.

Most turquoise in it’s natural form is too soft to be used in jewelry and, therefore, it is an acceptable practice to “stabilize” the stone by treating it with a resinous substance. This treatment hardens the stone making it less susceptible to chipping and keeps the color from changing due to contact with the oils in your body. When buying native American turquoise jewelry, you must be careful to know what you are getting as some jewelry is made with ““reconstituted turquoise” which is actually the ground up powder from inferior stones mixed with an epoxy and formed into stonelike pieces. There are also some unscrupulous jewelers who try to pass off dyed howlite as turquoise. While either one of these might look nice in jewelry, make sure you are not paying the price for a real turquoise stone. Turquoise is mined in China, Turkey, Egypt, Iran and Persia as well as Arizona and New Mexico.

Turquoise is a porous rock and must be cleaned very cautiously. Some people feel that there is an added value in vintage turquoise which has had years to develop a patina and excessive cleaning can destroy that value. The preferred means is to cleaning native American turquoise jewelry is to gently wipe it with a soft cloth but there are instanceds where you may require more intense cleaning and our advice is to use warm soapy water. If the turquoise is set in a piece of jewelry you should avoid submerging it in anything liquid as it can seep into the fissures of the jewelry and cause deterioration years down the road. One gentle method for cleaning turquoise is to dunk a Q-tip in warm soapy water and swab the jewelry with that - make sure you remove any soapy residue by swabbing again with a clean Q-tip dipped in clean water. Never clean your turquoise in ultrasonic or steam cleaners or use any type of chemical.

Other Interesting Articles:

Buying A Turquoise Pendant Necklace?
Wearing unique handmade jewelry can help you make a statement and express how unique you really are. Find out more about the history, processing and healing properties of turquoise.

The New Popularity Of The Turquoise Color
This color is a must have for spring and summer clothing, jewelry and accessories. As a color for jewelry, the turquoise stone is an outstanding gem and can be combined with other stones or used alone.

Raw Turquoise Stones
Raw turquoise stones can be quite a bit different than the stones that you see in jewelry. In their natural form, these stones can be porous and chalky. Depending on the quality of the stone, they may need to be treated in order to be used in jewelry.

The Turquoise Gem Stone
Find out the history, processing and healing powers of this sought after stone. Feat your eyes on turquoise jewelry!

Native American Indian Turquoise and Silver Jewelry
Read about some of the most highly sought after cultural jewelry made today.

The Birthstone Turquoise
Turquoise is the birthstone for the month of December and a popular stone used in jewelry making. Birthstone jewelry has been worn for centuries and while December has also been associate with the birtstones lapis lazuli, blue topaz and zircon, The American National Association of Jewelers formulated a standard list of birthstones in 1912 and named Turquoise as the birthstone for December.

Loose Turquoise Stones
Loose turquoise stones in their natural form, can be quite a bit different than the stones that end up in jewelry as they can be porous and chalky. In order to keep them from breaking and chipping, they are typically treated before they are used in jewelry.

Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Beads
Named for the mine it comes from, these beads and stones are well sought after for jewelry making and a favorite of the Zuni Pueblo silver makers who incorporate it into their traditional inlay jewelry.

Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Mine
The Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Mine located in Arizona is one of the largest turquoise mines in North American and produces a stunning sky blue turquoise that has no matrix and is referred to as “Sleeping Beauty Turquoise”.