What did the jewelry worn by the Navajos symbolize?

Jewelry is undoubtedly special. They help enhance the visual aesthetics of a person when coupled with the right attire. However, certain ornaments come bearing a special meaning to their existence. So, they not only make the wearer beautiful but also aids them in gaining confidence and a new outlook on life. While most of them are based on superstitious beliefs, categorizing all as blind perceptions might not be a wise decision.

Here are some of the commonly used native American jewelry necklaces with their symbolic meanings.

Navajo Jewellery and their Associated Symbolic Meaning

Although there are many native necklaces and ornaments in the Navajo tribe, some are particularly popular. From the list below, you must have stumbled across one or two of these pieces while shopping for ornaments online.

Turquoise native jewelry

Apparently one of the hotshots of the Navajo tribe and its beautiful culture, native necklaces with turquoise embedded in them, has several symbolic meanings. Believed to be parts of the sky, the gemstone is considered to be a holy object. Many historical reports on the Navajo tribe have found the stone to be used for numerous ceremonial rites. Used in several jewelries, the turquoise gemstone is available in bluish-green, white, and blue colors. The Navajo culture also signifies such ornaments as a sign of healing, prosperity, purity, and accuracy. Women who are expecting also use these stones as it is claimed to aid in increasing the maternal connection between the mother and the unborn baby.

Anklets or toe rings

A commonly found ornament in modern-day Indian marriages and culture, anklets and toe rings also hold a special position in the Navajo culture. The early tribe initially speculated that our feet act as one of the critical energy channeling sources. As it has the closest connection to the ground, wearing silver ornaments was claimed to enhance the combination. Surprisingly, some of the beliefs revolving the jewelry have also been confirmed by modern science. The recovered historic paintings from the Navajo tribe also portray their deities wearing anklets and toe rings. Hence, it is considered to be a sign of purity and positive character.

Beaded necklaces

Originally going far as 8800 BCE, beaded Navajo necklaces are still in style. Made from various kinds of shell types, including heishe beads, oyster shells, abalone, conch, and many more, they are exceptionally beautiful. According to the prehistoric Navajo culture, beads are a symbolic representation of protection, warding off evil energy, and attracting good luck. With white beaded necklaces being the most preferred ornaments, people also used other colors for different purposes. Similar to its color, brown beads represented stability and a close connection to Mother Earth; green referred to abundance, hope, healing, fertility, etc. The Navajo people also embedded the beads to other tribal art pieces, including pendants, toe, and earrings, etc.

Native American Charm Bracelets

Another widely popular native American ornament, the bracelets, may have different meanings according to the arrangement of the charms. While an individual could choose plain bracelets, the early Navajo preferred specific designs. For example, A bracelet with a bear sign symbolizes protection, physical strength, courage, and leadership. So, based upon the individual’s demands, these charms were designed and then sold. Similarly, other commonly used designs include arrowhead, buffalo, heartline, sun face, wolf, cow, etc. With animal charms being the most common, specific spiritual symbols were also used in the bracelets. This was thought to aid in enhancing one’s luck and guide them in life properly.

What do you need to remember while purchasing Navajo jewelry?

A Native American jewelry necklace is, no wonder, mesmerizing. However, simply choosing based upon looks while ignoring other facts is never a wise decision. The wide popularity of tribal ornaments has led to increases in their duplications. Thus, there is a fair chance that 60 percent of the tribal sellers you meet might actually be making profits through selling fakes. To make sure you are on the safe side, always make sure to follow these measures.

● Ask for an authenticity certificate or CoA licensed by the ATADA.

● Read their specifications and origin details carefully when making a purchase online.

● Never go for ornaments that say, ‘Navajo-based’ or ‘Navajo-like’.

● Make sure to carefully examine every nook and corner if purchasing from an offline dealer or seller.

● Ask for the symbolic meaning of the particular native jewelry and compare it with what you know.

New Mexico Gems, a platform set by genuine Navajo and Zuni tribal sellers, has reportedly one of the largest Native American jewelry necklace’ collections. Apart from that, you can find pretty much any native ornament you may want. Moreover, as each of their jewelry comes with a Certificate of Authenticity and embedded hallmarks, you need not worry about their originality. The platform has also been operational for quite a few years now and has relatively one of the largest fanbases of tribal arts and pieces. For more information, visit New Mexico Peppers today.