How to Design Indian Gem Jewelry

Designing Indian gem jewelry is a wonderful way to pay homage to the richness of Native American art and culture while also expressing your own creative vision. Follow the steps below to fuse your innovative design perspective with traditional Indian jewelry-making materials and techniques.

Things You'll Need

• Photos or Samples of Indian Jewelry
• Paper
• Writing Utensil
• Adhesive (optional)
• Colored Pencils (optional)

Instructions

Designing Indian Gem Jewelry

1. Different Native American groups are associated with different jewelry-making techniques. Today the most popular Indian jewelry styles are Navajo, Hopi and Zuni. Consult http://www.native-languages.org/jewelry.htm to find photographs of jewelry produced in these styles, and use these pictures to inspire your own designs.

2. Make a rough sketch capturing the look and feel of your finished piece. Using photographs or other pieces of jewelry for reference, make the sketch as close as possible to actual size. At this point you should concentrate on the size and shape of the overall piece. Focus on producing a design that is well-proportioned and that has symmetry or balanced asymmetry. Also, begin to consider the shape, size and type of gemstones you would like to incorporate into your finished piece, and write down any ideas next to your sketch.

3. Indian gem jewelry traditionally features turquoise and red coral gemstones. However, contemporary Indian jewelry often includes other gemstones such as black onyx, green malachite and blue lapis lazuli. Use a color wheel and your initial sketch to determine the colors and shapes of stones that will work best in your design. You can then hire a lapidary to cut stone cabochons to your specifications, or order precut stone cabochons from a merchant. Expect the price of the cabochons to vary widely depending on the size, grade and place of origin of the stone.

4. Produce a final drawing of your design to be consulted by the craftsperson executing your piece. Copy the shape from your initial sketch onto a piece of heavyweight paper. If you are using "freeform" instead of precisely calibrated stone cabochons, it is recommended that you physically incorporate the cabochons into your final design. This will give you maximum control over the finished result. If you decide to place your gemstones directly in the design, use adhesive to attach them to your drawing. If you are using calibrated cabochons that are uniform in size, you can skip this step and indicate gemstone placement through symbols or by coloring your drawing.
   After indicating the basic shape and stone placement, draw any detail-work you would like included in your piece. Native American jewelry often features accents such as stamping, engraving or leaf cutouts. These accents enhance the beauty of your design but require additional metalwork, which will usually increase the cost of the finished piece.

5. To be classified as Native American jewelry, your piece must be produced by a registered Native American jeweler. The jeweler should be able to provide you with a certificate of authenticity verifying his Native American heritage. Furthermore, the jeweler will usually stamp the finished piece with his name, initials or artist's stamp. The stamp serves to verify the authenticity of the jewelry.
   Before selecting an Indian silversmith, ask to view samples of her previous work. Most jewelers will charge you per piece based on the time and skill-level required to complete the work.

References

• Styles of Native American Jewelry