In the southwestern part of the United States, in New Mexico and Arizona, there are many Indian artisans who make handcrafted Indian jewelry. This trade has been passed down through the generations from family to family and many times it is truly a family affair.

The love for this type of handcrafted jewelry still exists today and these authentic pieces of jewelry are just beautiful. Most of these handcrafted jewelry pieces are made from silver, copper and gold. Many different gemstones are used with these pieces, with turquoise being the most popular.

Big Business

Indian jewelry has become a large commodity for many shops selling Native American art in the Southwest. Handmade beaded jewelry is especially popular in the small jewelry shops in this part of the country. Many of the Indian reservations have formed their own companies to regulate and sell the handcrafted jewelry made by the Indians on the reservations.

This handcrafted jewelry normally comes with a certificate of authenticity with the artists name or initials on the piece of jewelry. These companies will sell the jewelry to the different jewelry stores or trading posts and will do custom work for selected shops. The custom handcrafted jewelry can fetch a very high price tag.

A customer can also design a piece of jewelry and give a drawing to the agent of the Indian jewelry company and they will have the piece of jewelry made for them. This is very big business in the Southwest and has made a great deal of money for the Indian reservations who have ventured into this handcrafted jewelry business.

Single Artisans

There are also some of the Indian artisans who sell their handcrafted jewelry on their own. You will see these artists sitting at a stand on the side of the road or in the town square in Santa Fe, New Mexico with their jewelry spread out in front of them. This handcrafted jewelry is very authentic and you are normally looking at the person who made it.

Sometimes the sale of this jewelry goes to feed the families of the artists and is their only income. If you are looking for handcrafted Indian jewelry it is very easy to find in this part of the country. If it is a specific piece you are looking for, it is probably made by a particular tribe. You might have to search another part of the Southwest for an individual piece, but all of this jewelry is very accessible.