Top 6 Most Popular Native American Necklaces for Men and Women

Native
American necklaces come in many different varieties, each construed using
various materials found in nature. Beyond that, as with all Native American
jewelry, no strict set of rules exists to officially determine what constitutes
a Native American necklace. However, there are certain types of Native American
necklaces that continue to remain stylish hundreds – and even thousands – of
years later.

The 6 most popular types of Native American necklaces for
men and women are:

  • Coral necklace – Native American coral necklaces
    can be blue, orange, black, white, pink and red.  The most revered type of coral necklace is
    made from Blood Coral, which signifies wealth and status. Native Americans did
    not have access to this coral until European trade began.
Harvey Abeyta Four Strand Sponge Coral-Pen Shell Necklace

Sponge coral necklace by Tony Abeyta

  • Fetish necklace – Native American animal carvings are thought to imbue the wearer with special and sacred powers belonging to said animal. Used for guidance and protection.
Zuni Turquoise Fetish Necklace
  • Thunderbird necklace – The Thunderbird is a reccurring god in Native American folklore who sometimes took the form of a bird to help tribes. Thunderbird necklaces often use the color red to depict the god’s power and speed.
Depression Era Thunderbird Necklace 1
Depression era Thunderbird necklace
  • Bear necklace – A second popular fetish necklace
    is the bear necklace. Some Native Americans tribes believe the Black, Grizzly
    and Polar Bears in particular helped maintain order and imbued the wearer with
    courage, protection, speed, power and agility.
  • Beaded necklace – Earlier Native American beaded
    necklaces were made of wood, claws, teeth, shell, stone and copper. These materials
    would be replaced by glass beads brought on by European trade. Most modern
    Native American beaded necklaces now use beads from Japan.
  • Heishi necklace – Heishi originally was a
    popular style of clam shell necklace with distinctive disc-shaped beads, often
    incorporating coral and precious stones. Heishi literally means “shell”, though
    its definition has since been expanded to include any small bead of natural
    material made by hand.
Mary Tafoya Ten Strand Heishi Necklace
Multi-strand heishi necklace by Mary Tafoya
  • Squash blossom necklace – Beginning with the
    Navajo in the 1800s and later adopted by the Zuni and Hopi tribes, the squash
    blossom necklace traditionally uses silver beads leading down to a protective
    turquoise Naja pendant meant to ward off evil spirits.
Katelin Plummer Naja Necklace Online
Naja necklace by Katelin Plummer

Why Native Americans Wore Necklaces

Native American necklaces have a cultural depth that goes
far beyond decoration or trade. Some necklaces were traditionally worn as a
display of wealth and tribal status (coral necklaces), others for guidance and
protection rituals (fetish necklaces), and others still for utility (beaded
pouch necklaces).

Authentic Native American Necklaces at the Home & Away Gallery

Home and Away gallery has a carefully chosen selection of contemporary and vintage Native American necklaces from an array of Southwestern tribes as well as Maine, Alaska, and more. Take a tour of our Native American necklaces online or in-person at Kennebunkport, Maine.

Call (207) 967-2122. We love to talk about all of our Native
American necklaces on display and for sale.

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