Zuni Craftsmanship

The Navajo Indians first introduced "silver-smithing" to the Zuni people in the late 1800s.  The first Zuni silver jewelry very much resembled the heavy Navajo jewelry with large stones. However, in the early 1900s, the Zuni began crafting their jewelry with a new type of work called channel and inlay. This type of work is now a distinctive trademark of many Zuni Indians.

Then, they began grouping small stones to decorate jewelry. Each stone is set separately with a silver bezel arranged in a cluster which is known as needlepoint and petit point. Each stone is precisely cut to a uniform size to arrange the cluster, making Zuni jewelry not only beautiful, but also unique! To view our selection of Native American jewelry, please go to www.bowlinonline.com.  Happy Shopping!