Symbolism of Turquoise in Navajo Indian Jewelry

To the Navajo tribes of the American Southwest, turquoise has been an important symbol for thousands of years. Turquoise stones symbolize happiness, health, and luck. Turquoise also symbolizes a connection to the natural world because it can be found in shades of blue, green, black, and white – all colors found prominently in nature.

In addition to the symbolism, turquoise jewelry has also been important to the Navajo people as a status symbol. Wealth and social power is indicated by the size of individual jewelry pieces, the number of stones worked into them, and the amount of jewelry an individual wears.