shepherd’s hook | Native American Jewelry Tips

Ways to Wear a Pin

Native American Pin Sampler

The Native American pin is a traditional piece of jewelry worn with great pride on a broadcloth or heavy velvet shirt.

Zuni Cluster Pin

The cluster pins are probably one of the oldest Native American stone pin styles.

Customary places to wear a pin include: on the lapel of a jacket or blazer, on a larger shirt collar, at the neck over the top of the top button or on a turtleneck, on the front of a shirt on one side or the other above the breast, on a sash, and in conjunction with a scarf at the neck.

But there are many other ways to use pins.

To make pins more versatile, many Native American artists add a loop or Shepherd’s Hook on the back so the pin can double as a pendant. The beauty of a Shepherd’s Hook is that it can be opened up to fit over large beads while a loop has a fixed size.

Native American Pin Pendant Sampler

Pin Pendant with Shepherd's Hook

Pin Pendant with Loop

But even if a pin does not have a pendant loop or hook, if the pin in mounted vertically on the back of the pin so the pin would hang upright, you may be able to loop a chain or collar through the pin or fasten the pin to a sterling silver bead or stone necklace.

Navajo Dragonfly Pin with vertical pin that can be fastened on Navajo Pearls

Beyond that, the larger pins make wonderful winter coat pins and they can be used to fasten a winter scarf in place or as an embellishment any where along the scarf including at the very bottom of the scarf kind of as an small anchor weight !

Many designer purses have fobs and dangles as their signature so why not fasten a pin on a strip of leather or cloth to make your own personal statement.

Native American Pawn Pin Sampler

If your bag is fabric, you could attach a pin right onto the front of your purse.

If you are a hat wearer, a pin can change the look of a hat in an instant. This works just as nicely on a felt fedora or western hat as it does on you winter knit cap.