Understanding Tribal Jewelry

A Brief Introduction

Everyone loves jewelry, and some of the most beautiful jewelry to be found would be that of tribal jewelry. Although everyone finds the intricate designs and materials used to be unique and beautiful not everyone has a true appreciation for what goes into these pieces. Jewelry has become one of those items in our lives that we simply accept, although we may have a true appreciation for the beauty of it that doesn’t mean that we fully understand or appreciate where it originally came from, what it was originally used for or what meaning different pieces may hold. These are all questions that, once answered, can give you a new appreciation of jewelry.

The History

Jewelry actually served a number of purposes since its development. Some of the most basic purposes were as a form of currency; it also served as a way to display a person’s wealth and in some cases as a form of storage. One of the most obvious uses would be that of serving a functional purpose, such as clasps, pins and buckles. On a more spiritual level, jewelry has been used for types of symbolism to show membership or status in various groups, as well as for forms of magical protection and of course to allow the wearer a way to express their artistic tendencies.

What Different Pieces Can Mean

The meaning of individual pieces of tribal jewelry can vary according to the beliefs and customs of individual tribes. Some tribes, for example, might use a bangle bracelet as a form of binding piece (like a wedding ring), while other tribes choose to use beaded necklaces and in some cases even earrings have been used. There are many cases where it’s not a specific piece that holds the meaning, but rather the symbols used for decoration or the materials used in the piece’s creation. Some tribes use pieces of jewelry to mark milestones in individual’s lives, but its not necessarily the piece that does the marking, rather the symbols used in decorating or even the material used in its creation.

What Material Are Used the Most

Materials used in creating tribal jewelry can range in variety as much as the symbols used in the decoration processes. While some of the more popular resources used have been shells, beads of certain types of wood and even carved animal bones, in some cases, the materials used are determined by the natural resources available in the surrounding areas of each tribe. The Black Hill Indian tribes had access to silver, so finding silver in the jewelry of these tribes is not unexpected. While finding precious minerals and metals in tribal jewelry is not uncommon, many of the tribes value the materials such as shells, stones, wooden beads and carvings from animal bones more highly because of the time, effort and artistry taken in their creation.

Tribal Jewelry Today

Tribal jewelry is still a very highly regarded art form. Most of the artisans that create the beautiful pieces of artistic tribal jewelry you see today are carrying on a family tradition that has been handed down from parent to child. Many of these artists are carrying on a family tradition that can be traced back at least a hundred years or more. That is one of the things that can make owning a piece of tribal jewelry so special, the fact that the piece has a special meaning as well as having a true artisan that fully appreciates the meaning of the piece creating the piece, making it a one of kind rarity. Although modern jewelry holds beauty and value, the history, magic and true craftsmanship that goes into a true piece of tribal jewelry cannot be matched.