Hair Accessories

Native American Hair Accessories

Types of Accessories

Hair accessories encompass all items made to manage hair and to enhance the look and the impressions desired for accenting ladies hair. These would include barrettes, pony tail holders, hair combs and, to a lesser degree, hair pins. All are made of sterling silver except for the plastic on the combs and the snap openers on the barrettes. These two supplies the Indians purchase from wholesale shops.

Barrettes have a snap type connector to hold them in place. They are used in either pairs or as singles, and sold as such. They come in several sizes from small to medium to large according to the personal preference of the wearer. Many are decorated with stampwork and repoussé as well as stones and appliqué work. Ponytail holders are designed to hold the bundle of hair creating the ponytail look. Ponytail holders may use the snap type connector or sometimes a pin that goes through the bundle of the hair. Hair combs are simply that, a comb to be inserted into the hair with the top having the silver handwork of the artist. Hair pins have longer forks that insert into the hair and are solid sterling silver. The explanations of stones and tribal styles for these hairpieces are listed below.

STONE SETTINGS

All of the tribes do make jewelry in all of the following styles; however some tribes are most noted for particular styles. Navajos are the major producer of cabochon styles. Zuni Pueblo Indians are the major producer of the inlay, needlepoint and petit point type of jewelry.

Cabochons are more naturally shaped stones that have silver work to enhance the stone. Needlepoint stones are cut to have sharp points on each end, like a needle, and are placed in a designed shape or shapes of silver. Petit point stones are cut and are smaller round, oval, rectangle, triangle, and pear shaped or even small squares called “chicklets,” placed in a designed shape or shapes of bezels. Channel inlay has dividers between the stones of thin slivers of sterling silver. Stone on stone inlay has no silver dividers and the stones are fitted to sit next to each other with little or no gap. These stones might be turquoise, or other semi-precious stones, or mixtures of these stones.

The Style of The Hopi

Hopi artists rarely will use any stones in their hairpiece designs. Rather, they are masters of intricate overlay. This artistic technique requires the artist to cut out a preconceived design on a sheet of sterling silver. Once the design is fully cut and complete, the artist then overlays and solders this sheet onto another sterling silver sheet to create an impressive 3-D image or design. Although this artful technique can be construed as being of a simpler design, it requires much skill and the end result is no less than amazing!

Our Promise

Offering sterling silver Native American jewelry handcrafted in the USA is the fundamental “business mantra” of Silver & Turquoise Native American Jewelers, LLC. Imported or imitation jewelry of any kind is not what we sell. No matter the style or styles of these expertly handcrafted pieces of wearable art, you can be assured complete satisfaction. Individually made, one at a time, each piece to be cherished and worn proudly.