Aztec Jewelry

Aztec jewelry has fascinated everyone for centuries. It has an extremely rich history that is not known to all. In the ancient Aztec culture art was generally owned by the upper classes including jewelry. The jewelry was made from a variety of materials and often more than one type of material went into one piece. The materials were copper,gold,silver,clay,wood,shells,obsisian rock, and feathers. These materials were commonly used, but sometimes the designers would use precious stones were used to step up certain designs. Jade, opal, moonstone, and turquoise were used to name a few. Very ornate Aztec jewelry would have natural shapes though sometimes pieces would be crafted into the shape of birds and reptiles often with a religious significance. Men would often wear ornaments through their noses and also from a slit in their lower lip. One common form of Aztec jewelry was the ear plug and an example of these can be seen in the Aztec masks that both men and women wore. Only a small amount of the gold work from this era is left due to it being melted down during the tie e of the Spanish conquest. If you ever get the privilege of seeing ancient Aztec jewelry it is truly a treat.