Richard Anderson
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Okay, I have been watching the Ken Burns PBS special on country music. Awesome watch, highly recommend it. But, the reason I am posting it here is simple: Almost every country singer in the 60’s and 70’s had turquoise.
Just an observation…
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Yep, turquoise jewelry was very popular back then. The question is, how many celebrities from the 60s and 70s (many posted in this thread) continued to wear their turquoise jewelry the rest of their life for another 30, 40, or 50 years? I’m guessing very few. To most, it was just a fad and they probably weren’t passionate about its origin and cultural significance. Therefore, their “love” for turquoise jewelry passed once the trend was over.
Another question is how and why did turquoise jewelry become so popular in the 60s and 70s?
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Re: why was NA/turquoise jewelry so popular in the 60’s and especially the 70’s?
I think it makes sense in the context of the larger cultural shifts that were happening at the time. You had social protests and the civil rights movement–people demanding to be treated fairly, and that included Native Americans and those aligned with them. The occupation of Alcatraz from 69-71 is a good example. This set the stage for a society and youth culture that was more willing to embrace and celebrate ethnic diversity in the 70’s. Part of that included increased interest in Native cultures, and interest in NA jewelry followed.
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Thinking various Native American political movements brought history & culture more to the forefront of our national conscience? “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee” published 1971. The occupancy of Alcatraz in SF, 1969 - 1971…
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Most likely the right people were wearing turquoise, this article talks about influencers
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Your reasoning makes perfect sense, which sadly boils down to a fad of the 70s. It was the cool thing to do at the time, but didn’t last long. Their interest wasn’t a deep and enduring appreciation for the art and its cultural significance, which I believe is the reason most of us are here on this forum.
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Yes, whatever the reasoning behind it, it was a fad, because it didn’t last. I feel like it was such a boom that it was probably never really sustainable. But that’s how we know that we’re among like minds here.
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In all of my searching the internet for this thread, there has only been a handful of celebrities who wore turquoise jewelry in the 70s and continued to wear it throughout their life, as evident in more recent photos that I found when they were older. Two that come to mind are Robert Redford and Ralph Lauren. They both “get it” and are both Indian art collectors.
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Well not everyone can be as cool as us
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or as old…
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With age comes wisdom…and finally a little time to do what we want.
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What a cool thread! And some absolutely beautiful pieces!
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