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What comes to mind when we think about Native American, and specifically Southwest, jewelry? Turquoise, of course, but Native American jewelry, usually created in sterling silver, makes liberal use of many kinds of natural stones. Were going to look at 5 of the most popular.

1. Turquoise

The gorgeous sky blue, robins egg blue, light and dark turquoise and even green colors evoke the Desert sky and come from deposits in Arizona, California, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah. Natural turquoise can be solid in color, or be combined with brown, gold, white, and other colored minerals. There is a vast variety of colors and mineral mixes, something for every taste.

2. Coral

Also called Red Coral or Red Branch Coral, the intense red color complements turquoise and other colored stones. Made from collections of hundreds of tiny animals growing on the sea bottom, red coral was originally found mainly in the Mediterranean Sea. How did it make its way to the American Southwest and become an integral feature of Native American jewelry? Well save that mystery for another time.

3. Lapis Lazuli

Deep blue, often with gold flecks, lapis is one of the few rocks that is used as a gem for jewelry. Many ancient cultures believed that lapis lazuli had magical powers. Today, youll see brilliant blue lapis with Sterling Silver. Lapis is easily scratched, and should be cleaned only with a soft, dry cloth. Denim Lapis is a lighter bluish-white form of lapis lazuli.

4. Onyx

The typical onyx stone is black as night, and polished to a high shine. When mined, it may have bands of white, black, brown or red. Treatments of heat, sugar and/or acid can turn onyx a uniform black color. Its used mainly in settings, as it may chip or scartch easily, and not for carving or inlay work.

5. Malachite

Light to rich dark green, malachite sometimes had bands of darker and lighter shades of green. The bands may form concentric rings. Polished, banded malachite is worn as jewelry and is carved into ornaments and figures. Its often found with blue Azurite, and sometimes the two colors mix or band together, forming azure-malachite. The dragonfly pin in the photo is sterling silver with a malachite stone in the center.

Whatever your preference, and there are many other stones to choose from, the elegance of design and the beauty of the stones in Native American jewelry are to be cherished and admired.