Women Buying Their Own Jewelry

Women are no longer waiting for men to shower them with gems, according to a recent article in Newsweek magazine.

Alice Hart-Davis writes that jewelry, long considered something men buy as gifts to win the favor of women, is showing up on women's own shopping lists. Giving up on waiting for a clueless man to buy a gift of fine jewelry, women are shelling out the cash to acquire beautiful gemstones and works of jewelry art for their wardrobes. And doing so with enthusiasm and joy. They are buying to wear, for investment, as gifts to themselves or simply to take advantage of a bonus before daily expenses or, worse yet, inflation erode the purchasing power.

All be it, these tend to be women who have careers and independent financial resources. For many, the opportunity to own something of great beauty, like an authentic Native American jewelry bracelet, pendant or necklace, with no commitments attached, is spirit-lifting in addition to adding noteworthy adornment to their appearance.

In some cases, the purchase is an opportunity to show off after a promotion or pay increase. For others, it salves the worn emotions from going through a divorce. (It's true.)

For women who have become intrigued by the cultural authenticity and traditional beauty of Native American jewelry, the opportunities to buy for themselves has never been better. Online jewelry galleries such as Native-American-Jewelry.org offer stunning arrays of genuine Zuni, Navajo and other native-designed and native-created pins, pendants, bracelets and necklaces, even rings and earrings. 

The operators of these galleries range from large and impersonal to small and intimate. Since the latter have minor overhead to cover, their prices can be less expensive than pieces sold in high-cost physical stores or headquarters. As long as they guarantee authenticity and will return your purchase price if you are dissatisfied when the purchase arrives in person, online purveyors are excellent sources of these beautiful works of jewelry art.  
To make sure you get the real thing, ask the online seller to verify that the object is authentic hand-made Native American work. Ask that your order be accompanied by a descriptive Certificate of Authenticity and confirm that you have the right to return it if, for any reason, it doesn't meet your expectations when it is delivered.  You'll find superb silver and gold work, splendid turquoise cabochons, brilliant coral pieces and a wide variety of other gemstones.

Why wait for a man? They are notoriously slow to act anyway. 

Even the Esteemed Smithsonian Agrees. Turquoise getting rarer.

Why are turquoise jewelry and carvings increasing in cost.

According to the esteemed Smithsonian Magazine, it could be because turquoise is getting rarer to find and more expensive to buy.

An article in the Smithsonian by Saba Naseem (smithsonian.com) reports that high quality turquoise, the opaque mineral combining hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminum, is being mined out in America and otherwise becoming more difficult to find  on the raw materials market. The significance of turquoise extends back to ancient Egypt, where it was used in the funerary regalia of such commanding figures as King Tut.   

The article's author highlights a new show,“Glittering World: Navajo Jewelry of the Yazzie Family,” open in New York City's National Museum of the American Indian. The show's curator, Lois Sherr Dubin, believes, “There is no more important defining gem stone in Southwest jewelry." We at Aboriginals' Native-American-Jewelry.org agree that turquoise has a sovereign position in the world of Indian jewelry of the American Southwest.

Many Navajos believe throwing bits of turquoise into a stream will bring rain, the life-giving event for the aridity of the Southwest.  turquoise's variety of blue and green shades, with matrix of black, brown and white, are said to give special moment when given as a gift to someone. That's fortuitous for those born in December, the month that claims turquoise as its birth stone.

Many mines across the Southwestern United States contain gem-quality turquoise. But this high grade turquoise is becoming more difficult to come by than diamonds, a conclusion the author appears to support. It may be true for turquoise from American mines, which have seen production decline for a number of reasons, including government regulation on high mining costs.

On the other hand, turquoise from China is plentiful on the market. Much of this Asian turquoise, however, has been adulterated with stabilizers and color enhancers by the time it reaches the talented hands of Navajo and Zuni jewelry makers and fetish carvers.

The sacred nature of turquoise is underscored for Native people and those who connect with spiritual influences. When combined with the deep cultural traditions of Native American jewelry makers and the inherent "healing" properties of Zuni fetish carvings, turquoise takes on values that transcend the cost of its acquisition. These objects, if you are fortunate enough to own one and open enough to believe, can bring happiness and fulfillment into your life.