Navajo Pearls are traditionally made of sterling silver beads. Beads are handcrafted by Navajo artists. Making the beads is a time-consuming process. Each bead begins with silver that has to be melted, rolled and cut. Beads can be finished in several ways including satin, high polished, or oxidized to give that beautiful patina look. The pearls are measured by millimeters and are usually sized from 1mm to 35mm. Larger beads can definitely be crafted. We offer a variety of sizes from 2mm up to 14mm in stock. Larger beads can be special ordered.
Some of our inventory does include machine-made beads. These beads are made with sterling silver and produced in a shop in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They are still hand strung by Native American Artists and are curated with just the same attention and detail.