Native Necklaces

A necklace is piece of jewelry that is worn around the neck. Necklaces are made in all sorts of sizes and shapes. A wide variety of materials are used to create necklaces. Necklaces can be machine or hand made. Hand made necklaces usually carry a more significant value due to rarity and unique features. Sometimes a pendant or enhancer may be attached to the necklace, to give the piece a unique or personal appearance. Necklaces are a great way to express individuality and are worn by almost all cultures from around the world.

Southwest Native American Necklaces

Native American necklaces are a very popular line of jewelry which hand made by Native American artists of the Southwest. There are many different kinds of Native American necklaces. The squash blossom, a very popular form of necklace, is usually hand made with beads that are most frequently strung on silver, with a naja hanging at the bottom. A naja is the part of a squash blossom necklace that looks much like a hanging upside down horseshoe. The naja is often decorated with turquoise, coral, or shells.

Other Native American jewelry necklaces include Native nugget turquoise neclaces, silver bead necklaces, shell necklaces, and coral necklaces. Native American necklaces are strung on many different types of strings and wires. A string may give the necklace a more relaxed flowing appearance while a wire or coated wire may give the necklace a strong and often stiff appearance.

The Native American jewelry necklaces that are strung with coral beads and shells are often separated by what is known as heishi. Heishi is an assortment of shells, usually darker in color, that really work to bring out the brilliant color of the stones that are being shown on display. Native American jewelry necklaces are an exquisite form of cultural jewelry that expresses individuality and unique personalities.