The Zuni were
Pueblo
people who traded with the
Diné
(Navajo)
and learned from them the art of making silver jewelry. The Zuni and the Diné (Navajo) developed
their skills in very different ways. Both peoples use turquoise, but the Zuni use it in
repetitive patterns that may cover the entire piece of jewelry. In this bracelet, silver
serves only as the setting for the stones.
For the Zuni, turquoise contains the two colors that symbolize the essential elements
of life - blue of water and green of plant growth. |