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Classic examples
of silver work have been found dating 4000 BC and beyond. American silversmithing
began shortly after 1492 when the United States began colonizing. Fine
examples of early American silverwork included daily living utensils,
furniture hardware and adornment. History shows silver has been a precious
metal used in adornment as far back in time as can be detected. It has
been used as a metal of choice by peoples throughout the world for creating
jewelry.
Silversmithing came to the Southwestern
United States from the Spaniards. It is a general consensus that the
first silversmith was Atsidi Sani (Navajo) who was introduced to silver
between 1850 and 1860. In the 19th
century, silver was made into items to adorn Native Americans as well
as utensils to assist them in daily life.
After the
Indian war period, Indian reservations came to be. Soon, traders to
the Navajo realized their silverwork was one of the items that were
marketable for trade. Shortly after 1800 Indian Trading Posts arose
and the proprietors of the Posts began encouraging the Natives to make
silver adornments and utensils for trade to the settlers.
Soon after,
the railroad made its way through the southwest to California. The Fred
Harvey Co. as well as others set up Trading Posts to sell Indian curios
and jewelry to tourists as the trains would stop for various reasons.
Shortly after the turn of the century route 66 was built and went through
New Mexico and Arizona and Indian Trading Posts went up one after another.
Throughout the 20th
century, Indian Jewelry (Navajo, Hopi and Zuni) became one of the prime
crafts that tourists purchased while traveling through the southwest.
By the 1940’s, Indian Jewelry was being sold in
retail store and theme parks throughout Arizona, New Mexico, California
and beyond.
In the 1960’s,
Indian Jewelry and Turquoise had become very popular throughout the
world. Turquoise became highly sot after and prospectors began searching
hard for additional resources to supply the market. Turquoise was found
in Arizona, Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico.
Jewelry supply
companies and rock shops began to spring up throughout the southwest.
Once silver, turquoise and tools were readily available, jewelry making
became a standard occupation for the Native Americans as well as Anglos
and Hispanics of the southwest.
Jewelry production
shops began springing up throughout the southwest, which would be run
primarily by Anglo Americans. Better control of materials, use of production
techniques, and total control of the designs being made good sense to
the traders. Typically, shop owners hired Native Americans as well as
others to work in conjunction, in a production manner, to create the
designs developed by the shop owners based on customer demand.
At the same time, individual (more
artistic) Native American Silversmiths continued to work out of their
own homes to create their own unique styles and designs. Collectors,
then and now, seek out these individual silversmiths for their “one
of a kind” pieces. Generally, “one of a kind”
pieces command much great value then production shop jewelry.
In the 1970’s,
there was an explosion of interest in Turquoise Jewelry of all sorts.
This period brought the interest level to never seen before heights.
The industry grew exponentially and it seemed as though there was a
new gold rush.
Toward the later 1980’s, came a
big shock to the industry, the outside industrial world heard there
was a lot of money in the American Indian Craft market. They chose to
copy the Santa Domingo Indian beaded necklaces. The Santa Domingo Indians
had been making beads for many years by cutting turquoise, coral, shells
and other various materials into squares – drilling a hole in the center
– stringing on wire – then rolling them on a grinding wheel. They had
made quite an impression. Once we saw the first fake Santa Domingo necklaces
they started coming into the market by the thousands. It literally destroyed
the market for Santa Domingo beadwork. Look at the bead industry now
–WOW!
Next came the Navajo
Rug imposters, Navajo look a-likes were coming in from Mexico and then
from the Middle East. Fortunately the fakes were and still are easy
to detect, however, it still ruined the market for Navajo weavings as
the fakes were cheap and overwhelmed the marketplace. Today, Navajo
weavings are quickly becoming a thing of the past.
By the mid 1990’s,
Navajo Jewelry had been knocked off as well. Southwest style jewelry
is now being made in China, the Philippines, Korea and who knows where
else.
In 2005, we find the
active Native American Silversmiths along with their associated industry
here in the southwest are making the finest quality jewelry since its
beginning. Although there are imposters copying Southwest Designs, the
Southwest artists are now learning new techniques from the imposters
as well. The southwest jewelry industry may be one they will not take
away.
Western
Silver Information | Mexican
Silverwork
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