Jewelry

[KLWeaver]

I recently purchased a bunch of gemstone turtle pendants in the hopes of making them into necklaces or attaching them to bags.

My question is, what would necklaces been made with, simple leather, hemp?

 

[omarick1948]

Except for synthetic's, the two you mentioned and just about any other cordage.

 

[Artificer]

Ribbons were very common for Miladies delicate necks.

Oh the "turkle" as we used to call them, IOW anything made to look like a turtle and used as decoration, were a VERY common totem of the Miami Indian Nation. If you are from the western part of Ohio, that is your home territory.

Gus

 

[Artificer]

Sorry if I wasn't clear above. What I probably should have written was: "Ribbons were very common for Miladies delicate necks, to suspend a stone or other kind of jewelry."

Such ribbons were often made of silk or other very soft ribbon.

Gus

 

[KLWeaver]

haha, well lucky for me, most the women I vous with aren't the most delicate ladies

But I actually am in NW Ohio and have heard a lot about the Miami but haven't done intense research yet, but a Native friend had told me of the significance of the turtle and the turtle has an important meaning for my family as well.

Thanks for all the input guys, I am excited to start working on some jewelry today, cramming in as much as I can before a rendezvous this weekend!

 

[Artificer]

FWIW, for my small medicine pouch suspended from my neck back in the 70's, at first I used artificial sinew because I could not get real sinew. That turned out to be a dumb idea as it sort of sawed into my neck.

Then I used a single, small buckskin lace I cut from buckskin in what the old Herter's Catalog called the "babiche" method. That meant to take a sort of round piece of soft tanned buckskin and cut lace from it in ever smaller circles around the circumference of the leather piece. That was plenty secure and far more comfortable on the neck. However in those days, real brain tanned buckskin was very hard to get and most of us used the non period correct modern tanned buckskin.

If I were to do it today, I would try to use real brain tanned buckskin or at least the "German Tan" buckskin that Crazy Crow sells and still use a single, small lace just big enough to be secure to hold whatever size neck bag/pouch I was making. That could also be used for some jewelry or stones hung from the neck.

Gus

 

[Artificer]

BTW, silk and other kinds of coloured ribbons were very common trade items to both NA's and Anglo/European settlers from at least the 18th century onward.

Gus

 

[Artificer]

Sorry, one more post about cutting lace from a round or rounded piece of buckskin. I do not recommend using one of the Tandy "Lace Cutting" Gizmo's as even if they work, they usually only work on vegetable tanned leather. I always used a good pair of shears to cut lace from buckskin or other soft leather.

Gus

 

[KLWeaver]

Thanks for all the useful info.. I decided to go with the leather, here's the finished product.

 

Don't you mean PRODUCTS? How subtle.

Thanks for all the useful info.. I decided to go with the leather, here's the finished product.

 

[omarick1948]

Those are a lot of necklace's to wear at a rendezvous! :shocked2:

 

[KLWeaver]

Haha well I'm keeping one and giving the rest away to friends.

 

[Treestalker]

Where's they heads and legs and tails? Just kidding, NICE work! Be blessed. George.

 

[smo]

Those are a lot of necklace's to wear at a rendezvous! :shocked2:

Not if the rondy's in New Orleans! Much better than just beads! :wink:

 

[Crewdawg445]

Who might that Native guy be talking turtles.... lol. Here on turtle island, it's certainly one important animal!

Looks good, split some elk lace or brain tanned hide and them babies will stand out. :wink:

 

[omarick1948]

Sorry, But these look more of a gift store or flea market item. Trader Blankets and Rendezvous rules out in this part of the country wouldn't allow sales of these. If you had carved the shells, that would be a different matter. Someone had to say it and I did! Sorry for being so blunt, but if it works in your area, fine!

 

[KLWeaver]

I sold all of these the first weekend I brought them to a vous... Haven't made any since but I enjoyed seeing how the kids lit up when they were able to buy their own jewelry.