How To Style Native Jewelry With Modern Looks
Native American jewelry boasts a rich, unique style that draws the eye and captures attention wherever you go. With such a gorgeous piece in your jewelry collection, it’s important to know how to style it in a way that balances your jewelry with the rest of your outfit.
When you mix colors, textures, and patterns correctly, you can make your Native American jewelry shine whether you’re in the office, running errands, or going out at night with your friends. Create a look that showcases the best of both worlds with this guide on how to style Native jewelry with modern looks.
Use a Statement Piece as Your Focal Point
Many pieces of Native American jewelry feature rich turquoise stones, intricate silver stamping, or beautiful, traditional symbols such as the squash blossom. These gorgeous features turn heads, making them perfect for creating a focal point for your outfit.
If your jewelry is serving as a statement piece, make sure your clothing features neutral colors. Avoid intricate cuts, frills, or other designs so you don’t draw attention away from the focal point you've created.
For example, a beautiful squash blossom necklace will look fantastic with a lowcut or strapless dress, as these looks create a blank canvas around your neck for the pendant to reset. Wearing your hair up will also create a sleek profile that allows more attention to move toward the necklace.
Use Turquoise as Your Pop of Color
Turquoise is an iconic part of Native American jewelry. Whether you have a breathtaking sky-blue stone or a piece showcasing an array of blue, green, and yellow hues, each color brings character to your outfit. You can make it stand out even more by pairing your turquoise piece with more subtle, neutral-colored accessories, such as understated, classy silver earrings.
In addition to the silver that it’s usually backed with, turquoise looks beautiful alongside earthy tones such as grays, tans, browns, and more muted greens and blues. If you want a more casual look, turquoise complements denim beautifully. Try pairing your turquoise dangle earrings with a denim jacket for a chic, relaxed look.
Pay Attention to Texture
Another thing that makes Native American jewelry stand out is its complex composition. Turquoise, silver, and other materials combine in intricate designs that are rich with meaning and detail. This is especially true for pieces that use multiple stones, such as beaded necklaces, needlepoint rings, and cluster pendants.
All that detail brings beautiful texture to your outfit, but too much texture can start to look busy and overwhelming. Balance the intricacy of your jewelry with smoother, more streamlined clothing pieces.
Avoid layering too much as this will weigh down your look. Pieces with ruffles, sequins, or heavy lace or embroidery—especially around the hands and neck where your jewelry lies—can also dominate the outfit in a way that fails to complement your jewelry the way it deserves.
This applies to patterns as well. While wider stripes or lighter dots can pair nicely, stronger patterns such as plaid, paisley, or florals can overwhelm your outfit and pull attention away from your jewelry.
Fight Boring With Balance
That doesn’t mean your clothes have to be boring, though. You can keep it classy with a solid color blouse and slacks for an elegant modern look. If you want to spice things up, choose colored or patterned bottoms that add more visual interest further away from your jewelry pieces and bring more balance to the overall look. You also can’t go wrong with an elegant satin dress, especially one that leaves your neck bare for a necklace.
If your outfit has more texture and detail, keep it balanced with smaller or subtler jewelry pieces, such as chic hoop earrings, necklaces with smaller beads, or a ring that serves as a smaller statement piece.
Layer Your Jewelry
Too many accessories can bring chaos to your outfit, but learning how to combine them effectively brings balance, class, and personality. Layering your jewelry uses the same principles as layering your clothing. Pay attention to color, texture, and patterns. Choose pieces that don’t overwhelm or outshine the others.
When wearing multiple necklaces, make sure they’re different lengths so they sit comfortably without becoming tangled or competing for space. If you want to wear more than one bracelet, go for bangles or beaded bracelets rather than thicker cuffs. But if you want a thicker cuff, try pairing it with subtle rings or earrings to create balance across your entire outfit.
Experiment With More Unique Pieces
Adding Native American necklaces, rings, earrings, and bracelets is a gorgeous way to bring character and beauty to your look, but you don’t have to stop there. Other classic Native American pieces, such as bolo ties and concho belts, stand out a bit more than your average jewelry, making them exciting and bold accessories to play with.
Bolo Ties
The classic way to wear a bolo tie is with a collared shirt—and yes, it looks just as good on women as it does on men. Whether you’re wearing a button up on its own or topping off a blazer or suit jacket, a bolo brings a sleek, sharp, and charmingly traditional look. Plus, the silver and turquoise adornment adds a pop of color and intricacy to your outfit.
That said, you can also wear a bolo the way you would a necklace. It’s a nice and unique addition above a dress or blouse—especially one that leaves your neck and collar bare.
Concho Belts
A concho belt is another great way to style Native American jewelry with modern looks. You can wear it like any other belt, looping it through your jeans or slacks to add a sparkle of personality to your outfit. It also works as a gorgeous sash around the waist of a dress, or even worn as a necklace, adding visual interest, breaking up the outfit, and creating a focal point for your look.
Don’t Be Afraid To Break the Rules
When many people think of Native American jewelry, they think of traditional outfits, country Western looks, or even breezy boho styles. These are all great looks to pair with your pieces, but you don’t have to stick with them.
The beauty of Native American jewelry lies in the stories it tells. Every piece is a representation of history, culture, and art. But those stories don’t end once the piece is in your collection. You have your own story to tell, your own beautiful look to create.
So break the rules. Pair your traditional squash blossom necklace with that little black dress hanging in your closet. Add a Zuni needlepoint cuff bracelet to your pantsuit. Pair your Navajo cluster earrings with a chunky, oversized sweater.
At the end of the day, it’s your style. If you like what you see in the mirror, you can step out into the world with beauty and confidence.
Find Stunning Native American Jewelry at John Henry
Whether you’re shopping for the first time or expanding your existing collection, you can find beautiful Native American jewelry pieces to fall in love with at John Henry. Explore our handcrafted selection of women’s turquoise jewelry when you visit us today.