Zuni Turquoise Inlaid Bracelets

The Zuni Indians of New Mexico are best known as the Native American people who were encountered by Spanish explorers, or conquistadors, in the early-to-mid 1500s, while they were searching for the mythological "seven cities of gold." Instead of Gold, the Spaniards found a people steeped in ritual and advanced in arts of exquisite craftsmanship.

Believed to be descendants of the pre-historic Anasazi civilization, as well as other tribes from this region, the Zuni are merely one of several tribes that create the larger Pueblo Indian Nation. Although the Zuni people are related to the surrounding Navajo, Hopi, and other Pueblo tribes, they speak their own unique language.

When it comes to Southwest jewelry, across the globe, the Indians of the Zuni Pueblo are known for their excellent Lapidary and Inlay skills. The Zuni are particularly known for their fine channel inlay jewelry. Intricate, channel designs are fashioned in Sterling Silver atop a lower layer of silver. Next, small gemstones such as turquoise, coral, shell, opal, or lapis are cut to match the channels and inlaid into the channels. This technique was introduced to the Zuni Pueblo by C.G. Wallace in the 1920s, and it has become popular among other Southwest Indian artisans. Sterling Silver is their precious metal of choice.

The use of Silver to create Southwest Pueblo jewelry by Navajo, Zuni, and Hopi Indians is almost 100 year old. The use of Turquoise, Pink Shell, Onyx, and Coral as personal adornment by Southwest Indians dates from prehistoric times. Our collection of Southwest Zuni Inlaid Bracelets features both authentic and non-Indian made inlaid bracelets. All authentic Native American made inlaid bracelets such as the Men's Zuni Turquoise Inlaid Bracelet or the Women's Zuni Turquoise Inlaid Bracelet have been created by well known Zuni Pueblo artists as well as several artisans who are just starting out in the trade. The Inlay jewelry of the Zuni people is among the most coveted hand crafted Jewelry in the world today.
We have a wide variety of Zuni Turquoise Inlaid Bracelets, Zuni Jewelry, Zuni Bracelets, Indian Bracelets, Turquoise Bracelets, and Zuni Inlaid Bracelets.