Palms Trading Company

Palms Trading Company has been selling and trading in Native American & Vintage Native American Jewelry for over 75 years. As experts in Native American craft and jewelry we have become quite familiar with the different styles and techniques used to create these southwestern treasures. Silverwork is a relatively new trade among Southwest Native Americans, taught to them by the Spanish and Mexicans in the 19th century. The Navajo were the first to learn silversmithing and subsequently developed the first recognizable style now associated with Vintage Native American Jewelry of the southwest. Since then, distinctive styles and techniques of jewelry creation have emerged from the Zuni, Santo Domingo, and Hopi tribes, offering an expansive array of beautiful and masterfully executed jewelry. Different Techniques Used in the Creation of Native American Jewelry 1. Stamping:                   ...

At Palms Trading Company of Albuquerque, we understand stones. Whether the jewelry contains semi-precious or precious, faceted or cabochon gemstones, we know what we are looking for when selecting Native American jewelry. Types of Gemstones and Cabochons Here are some of the more common gemstones associated with Native American Jewelry : Coral — the hardened secretion of tiny sea creatures. Coral ranges in color from white and pale pink to deep reds and oranges. Coral is an organic material and like other organic gemstones, it is not an especially hard or durable gemstone. It has a hardness rating of 3 to 4 on the Mohs scale, which can easily help distinguish and identify coral from similar colored gemstones such as carnelian, rhodonite or spessartite garnet.White and red coral with a calcium carbonate composition has a specific gravity or density of 2.60-2.70 and a refractive index of 1.486-1.658. These specific gemological properties, combined with coral’s translucent to opaq...

When you are shopping for new jewelry to add to your collection, your options are endless. At Palms Trading, we believe that vintage Native American jewelry is a much better choice than other artificial jewelry you may find. Here are four reasons why this is the case: 1: Native American jewelry is always unique. Authentic Native American creations handcrafted by local artists will always be one of a kind. Unlike mass-produced jewelry that is sold around the world, every piece of jewelry you purchase from a Native American artist is going to be different from the next. Variances in the colors and textures of stones and metals lend distinct features to these pieces that make them truly unique. 2: You cannot find Native American jewelry everywhere. Although there may be dealers around the world that sell authentic Native American jewelry pieces, remember that these earrings, rings, and necklaces can only originate from one area. For instance, the jewelry pieces handmade ...