PRE-COLUMBIAN JEWELRY

February 25, 2006 (Press Release) -- The ready availability of gold accounts for the large amount of jewelry made in South America and Mexico before the Spanish conquest of 1532. South American metalworking began in the Andes and gradually spread north to Mexico. Intricate casting techniques were used for personal and ceremonial ornaments. The themes were almost exclusively religious, with an emphasis on masks. Mosaic inlays featuring turquoise originated in Peru before 700 AD and were common in Mexican jewelry by the 14th century. A characteristic object was the breast ornament, often constructed out of hammered and cast elements soldered or riveted together and enriched with cast thread decoration. A Chavin piece features a mask flanked by animal heads and pendants (Museum of the American Indian, New York City). Necklaces of turquoise, shell, and other beads and earrings and earplugs were also common. The Maya in Mexico preferred earplugs, pendants, and bracelets of jade.

Source: http://www.google.com/ encarta.msn.com