what is native american jewelry petit point?

Question: This is a term used to describe a way of making turquoise jewelry, but it's not clear what it's describing.

Answer: Petit Point is a style of jewelry produced by the Zuni and is often confused with another Zuni style of jewelry--Needlepoint. The Needlepoint style has many tiny, carefully matched cabochons with pointed ends placed in straight or curved lines and set. The Petit Point style, often confused with or referred to as needlepoint, is a modified version of needlepoint that uses teardrop-shaped stones. If the stones are teardrop shaped, the piece is petit point, not needlepoint. Although turquoise is the most common stone used in these styles, the jewelry is not limited to turquoise but can incorporte other stones.

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