Gaspeite Jewelry

Relatively speaking, Gaspeite has only recently been introduced as a common gemstone in Native American jewelry. For millennia, Native American Indians have transformed natural resources into various forms of jewelry, including necklaces, earrings, rings, bracelets, pendants and belts. From the prehistoric mined turquoise of the Pueblos of New Mexico to the acquisition of Italian coral through a flourishing trade network, various gemstones and an assortment of shells from near and far vicinities adorn both modern and prehistoric Native American jewelry. Never limited by distance, there is no wonder that Native American tribes have incorporated the recently discovered mineral, Gaspeite, into the manufacturing of Gaspeite jewelry with a distinct Native American flavor.

Originally found in 1966 in the Gaspe Peninsula of Canada, the beautiful light to brighter green mineral of Gaspeite did not enter the jewelry market until the latter part of the twentieth century. With the discovery of Gaspeite in Western Australia during the 1980s, its use for jewelry naturally increased. Imported into the United States, various tribes of the Southwest such as the Navajo, Zuni and Hopi have incorporated Gaspeite into their jewelry making just as they would turquoise or other forms of minerals. Gaspeite resembles the green hues of turquoise as well as its soft and pliable texture.

The Gaspeite jewelry crafted by the Navajo is consistent with their use of other stones and minerals. As the centerpiece of rings, earrings and bracelets, the Navajo concentrate on the mineral while forming and designing the silver around it. Whereas the Navajo concentrate on the mineral as a focal point, the Zuni utilize their inlay and channel work skills to display Gaspeite in their jewelry. Whether alone, or in combination with shell and gemstones, the Zuni inlay silver with intricate designs of Gaspeite in various forms of jewelry including but not limited to bracelets, earrings, and pendants. The rarity of Gaspeite, combined with its natural beauty, makes Gaspeite jewelry some of the most desired and sought after pieces of Native American art.