Crystal

North of Window Rock, the Navajo capitol, the Crystal Trading Post developed and played an important role in Navajo weaving. J.B. Moore, the Crystal trader, instructed women in weaving rugs in patterns that Easterners presumed Indian styles to be. In fact, Moore appears to be the first to create a mail-order catalog, The Navajo, with color illustrations of Navajo rugs which was distributed along the eastern seaboard.

Today the "regional style" Crystal reflects an interest in weaving with vegetal dyed yarns which developed in the 1930s and 40s. This "new" style of Crystal consists of edge-to-edge bands of alternating colors of yarn. In the middle of these bands, there are often motifs of diamonds, stars, crosses or arrows. The closing of the Crystal Trading Post has made the Crystal pattern more difficult to obtain in recent years.