Author Larry Frank discusses the history of this jewelry from 1868, when the Navajos were restored to their homeland, to 1930, when tourist demand and mass production ended the innovative first phase of the craft. He explores early design sources in contemporary Spanish, Mexican, and Plains Indian work; describes Navajo tools and technique (often used under conditions of extreme hardship); traces the cultural development of jewelry-making from a pastime to an esteemed profession; and notes the Pueblo Indians' contribution - the sophisticated use of turquoise. Of interest to specialist will be his reevaluation of the Plains Indian contribution and his dating sequence, based on close examination of the style and techniques of hundreds of objects.

Indian Silver Jewelry contains 253 close-up photos- 52 of them in color - of conchas, necklaces, bracelets, hair ornaments, bridles, and other pieces, as well as rare photographs of Indians wearing jewelry. The illustrations are grouped by collection - The Smithsonian Institution, The Field Museum of Natural History, The Museum of New Mexico, The Wheelwright Museum, The Millicent Rogers Museum, and the Lynn D. Trusdale Collection, and assorted private collections. The detailed captions invite the reader to look, compare and discover for himself the extraordinary beauty and vitality of Southwest Indian silver jewelry.