A Brief History Of Native American Jewelry

Native American jewellery has a long history going back to the pre-Columbian era. It has undergone many changes in the last two centuries as the European settlers moved inland and into most Indian territories. So, before searching for authentic Native American jewellery near me, know their history.

Pre-Columbian Native American jewelry

The pre-Columbian jewellery dates back to 12,000 years. The main materials used were stone, shell, and animal and fish bones. Corals were broken into small beads and used in jewelry as well as an embellishment in clothes.

After European settlers

With European settlers starting to arrive, they bought new materials for jewelry. Glass beads and silversmith works were the two most important things to emerge from this new contact. The 18th and 19th centuries especially saw a great advancement in silversmith works. Each tribe had its style of work, and among the various groups, Navajo Indians were the best and the first to master this craft.

19th century

As railway lines reached the innermost parts of the USA, more Indian tribes adopted silversmith works and created jewellery unique to them. The demand for jewelry was not limited just to the Native American population but also to settlers. So much so major cities bordering Native American settlements started having curio shops to sell to the non-native American population. This led to Secretary of Interior Hubert Work giving a report that laid emphasis on preserving Native American heritage and culture and also standardizing their products to maintain their genuineness. It led to the formation of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1935, which distinguished between bonafide Native American jewelry and those made by non-Native populations.

21st century

The demand for authentic Native American Jewelry continues in this century as well. Congress also amended the act above and made it a criminal offense to sell something as Native American when it is not. To date, many people have been sentenced and fined under this law. It has given protection to Native American artisans and craftsmen. One of the most famous ones was the sentencing of Nael Ali, who imported jewelry made in the Philippines and sold them as Native American jewelry.

So, this is a brief history of Native American jewellery. The next time you Google authentic Native American Jewelry near me, be sure that the stores in the search result sell authentic ones, not fake ones.