INFOCUS
NATIVE AMERICAN JEWELRY WITH LASTING BEAUTY
WRITTEN BY BETHANEY PHILLIPS / PHOTOS BY JAMI BOWMAN
F
or years, Pamela Minick has found solace in intricate Native American jewelry. Featuring natural gemstones like white buffalo, turquoise, sterling, and more, her incredible collection consists of thousands of pieces, all of which come from mines throughout the country—many of which have been retired. This leaves White Buffalo Trading Co. as offering some of the most unique pieces around, including highly sought-after stones ranging in all colors, including pale greens and blues to those that are bright green in hues.
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SIMPLYkc MAGAZINE
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APRIL 2022
“It’s like a big jewelry box,” Minick says, adding that she offers new and vintage pieces alike. “Not one type sells better than the other; there’s something for everyone, and these pieces continue to get more and more beautiful over time.” Additional stones include marble, alabaster, pipestone, and coral—and spiny oyster—it’s an unending list of variety that allows customers to shop in the style, size, and budget that suits them personally. Minick also works hard to find items that are more unique, such as handmade heishi beads—tiny turquoise
tubes—that haven’t been in production since the 1980s. It’s items like these that she’s proud to collect, sell, and share with others, she adds. As for her best-selling type of jewelry, it recently transitioned from earrings, which had reigned as topdog for decades, to cuffs. “Cuffs are very popular,” she says about this style of bracelet. Another popular style of jewelry is squash blossoms, a type of large necklace with a horseshoe or crescent shape at the bottom. “They’re a bigger necklace and they’re incredible,” she explains.
