Apache Bead Necklace

Early 20th Century

20" L + 2.75" L x 2.125" W

Hand Made from German Silver Prerle Zino Rockerwork Tweezers with Pony Beads and Copper Pendant Necklace Fos Museo

In Good Condition

Apache-style bead necklaces incorporating German silver (also called nickel silver) draw from Southern Plains Native American jewelry traditions, where this copper-nickel-zinc alloy became important from the mid-19th century onward. German silver was traded to Plains tribes (including groups associated with the Apache, such as the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma / Plains Apache or Kiowa-Apache) and valued for its durability, silvery appearance, and relative affordability compared with pure silver. Southern Plains artists used it for armbands, conchos, crosses, hair plates, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, chokers, bandoliers, and other adornments. It remains part of contemporary Southern Plains work, sometimes combined with beads or other materials.