Silver Jewelry
Types of Silver There are essentially three types of silver used in high quality Native-American jewelry. The first was ingot silver. The ingots would simply be melted down in order to create the silver portion of the piece. Ingot silver typically consisted of 99.9% silver. During the early 1900’s, Native Americans used coin silver to make a substantial amount of their jewelry. Coin silver consists of about 86-88% silver. The artist would melt down this type of silver, which would eliminate all writing and engravings on the coin. Today, most quality jewelry is made from sterling silver. The silver is usually flattened out, or may be purchased in ingots. The silver plates are then cut to the desired length and width to create the basic shape of the piece. Sterling silver consists of 92.5% silver, along with some extra alloys to add some strength. Artists usually sign sterling silver jewelry with a bolded or italicized “Sterling” mark. Native American Silver Jewelry Native American Silver Jewelry has been around since only the late 1800’s. It is said that many of the early techniques were adapted from the Spanish who traveled up through southern New Mexico. Native American silver jewelry is very unique compared to all other cultures of the world. The artist use incredible stamp work, carvings, and stones to create their pieces. Over the years, the design artists use generally change, except for religious symbolism and traditional thinking. Native American silver jewelry began with ingot and coin silver. In the early days, many designs such as hand wrought patterns, stamp work and plain-bezel set stones were used. The jewelry was typically for simplistic, due to undiscovered techniques and ideas. During the 60’s, the carved leaf patterns were discovered and are still used to this day. Other patterns such as swirls and other accenting features are currently being used, but is constantly changing.
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Silver jewelry has been around for thousands of years. It is one of the least expensive precious metals that artists use. This is an ideal metal to use because it typically does not leave green marks, as long as there is a decent amount of silver in the compound. Be aware of silver jewelry that contains a large amount of nickel or “German Silver” as these are usually cheap alternatives to silver and will stain the skin. Silver jewelry can also be an ideal jewelry to wear for those who are looking for a cheaper alternative to gold. Silver jewelry is a relatively inexpensive precious metal. Silver jewelry can also be easier to work with compared to other metals. The most common form of silver found in jewelry is sterling silver.
