How to Design Southwestern Jewelry
The Southwest U.S. is home to a rich and colorful culture, which is expressed in part through arts and crafts. One craft with which the Southwest is associated is that of jewelry making. Southwestern jewelry comes in many styles, shapes and sizes. It is influenced by the traditional jewelry of American Indian tribes of the Southwest, such as the Navajo, Zuni, and Hopi. You can design Southwestern jewelry by synthesizing creativity and knowledge. Take the time to learn about different types and materials of Southwestern jewelry, and let your creativity guide you as you develop designs.
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Instructions
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Learn about the history, styles and traditional materials of Southwestern jewelry through informative books like "Southwestern Indian Jewelry: Crafting New Traditions" and "Southwestern Silver Jewelry," as well as online resources, such as native-american-tribes-jewelry.com.
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Look at examples of Southwestern jewelry in books and online to grasp its style and learn about the materials and techniques used to make it. Understand what sets Southwestern jewelry apart from that of other regions and cultures around the world.
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Determine what type of Southwestern jewelry you want to design. Consider designing a necklace, bracelet, ring, pair of earrings, or another type of adornment.
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Decide which materials you will include in your Southwestern jewelry design. Consider the following traditional Southwestern jewelry materials: turquoise stones, multicolored seed beads, or sterling silver chain and ear wires.
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Draw your Southwestern jewelry design using a pencil and paper. Elaborate on your drawing with text describing the sizes and styles of the different components of your jewelry design. Specify which materials you will use to make each component, such as turquoise beads or silver chain.
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Include seed beads in your Southwestern jewelry design if you want to create a beaded piece of jewelry in the style of traditional Navajo jewelry. Determine which colors of seed beads you prefer. Decide what pattern or form you will depict with the seed beads, such as a zig-zag or a rose form.
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Incorporate silver chain into your Southwestern jewelry design if you want to create a silver necklace, bracelet or anklet. Silver chain comes in a variety of styles, ranging from basic cable chain to intricately woven chain. Decide how large you want the silver chain to be; its individual links may be as tiny as 1mm or as large as 10 mm. Think about what elements, if any, you will add to the silver chain.
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Determine how wide the band will be if you want to design a Southwestern ring. Decide whether the band will have a pattern. Sterling silver wire comes in a variety of thicknesses, finishes and Southwestern-style patterns, and may be used to fashion Southwestern silver rings, among other adornments.
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Bring sterling silver ear wires into your design if you want to create Southwestern earrings. Determine what style of silver ear wire you favor, such as a French style, which resembles a fish hook, or a style that latches closed, which is more secure. Attach flowers, birds or other forms made with seed beads to the ear wires, or connect them to turquoise beads.
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Make sure you have included all the aspects of your Southwestern jewelry design in your drawing.
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Tips & Warnings
Bring your Southwestern jewelry design when you visit a jewelry supply retailer or craft supply store. Use your drawing as a guideline when you buy the components you will need to make the Southwestern jewelry design a reality.
Use the Internet as a resource for free beading patterns if you want to design and create beaded Southwestern jewelry.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Turquoise Beads image by Rainstorm Designs from Fotolia.com
