The color turquoise to the Native Americans is a symbol of luck, health, and happiness. It has been used in jewelry for centuries, especially to design Native American turquoise rings. Turquoise is valued in Native American cultures not only for its beauty but also for its healing and spiritual qualities.
Native American Turquoise Ring Uses
Turquoise was discovered when a gray rock was spotted with a blue line running through it. Native American turquoise rings began to be made with this stone, which was thought to contain the image of the sky and earth. These stones are used in Native American turquoise rings as means of bestowing upon the wearer such things as:
- Protection
- Good health
- Long life
- Good fortune
- Blessings
- Healing
Medicine men utilized these stones in Native American turquoise rings because of their strong healing powers. Native American turquoise rings are not only worn as protection but also to aid in mental function.
Native American Turquoise Ring Use in Fertility and Burial
Turquoise jewelry, including Native American turquoise rings, were also thought to hold special meaning for women. When a woman wished to become pregnant, she would wear Native American turquoise rings to increase her fertility.
Native American turquoise rings and other jewelry were also used to display status or wealth tribes and often buried with their owners. This was done not only because of the value to the owner, but turquoise was thought to be a gift from the spirits.
Popularity of Native American Turquoise Rings
It wasn’t until the late 1800’s, when Native Americans began to make Native American turquoise rings for trade. Using a lower grade turquoise and silver to craft Native American turquoise rings became a good way for tribes to make money or trade for needed valuables. This practice allowed Native Americans the ability to purchase better silversmith tools to craft better quality Native American turquoise rings and other jewelry for their own use.
Although this jewelry was very inexpensive to purchase at that time, today it is highly valued and collected. Owning Native American turquoise rings with cracks in the stone is a good omen. This means that the stones of the Native American rings protected you and absorbed the attack.
In the Indian culture turquoise is thought of as more precious than gold, but elsewhere in society Native American turquoise rings go in and out of fashion with changing trends.