Chunky Royston Turquoise Nugget Necklace Santo Domingo

Our Chunky Royston Green Turquoise Nugget Necklace is an extraordinary expression of Kewa (Santo Domingo) Pueblo jewelry making, created by the husband-and-wife artisan team with whom Jean Marie has developed such a meaningful relationship. What immediately distinguishes our necklace is the character of the stones themselves: substantial, wonderfully irregular nuggets of vintage Royston turquoise in earthy shades of sage, olive, aqua, caramel, and brown. These remarkable stones were drawn from a treasured family stash inherited from the artisans’ grandparents. You 

Royston turquoise comes from Nevada’s historic Royston mining district and is particularly admired for its remarkable range of color, from blue and aqua to distinctive shades of green, frequently accompanied by warm brown or golden matrix. Large nuggets of this scale are increasingly difficult to find, making the stones in our necklace especially exceptional. Here, the green Royston is compelling because every stone resembles a tiny natural landscape, with no two pieces sharing exactly the same coloration or matrix. The term “nugget” refers to this intentionally free-form style: instead of being fashioned into perfectly calibrated discs or symmetrical cabochons, the turquoise is shaped and polished while preserving much of its substantial, irregular character.

Each nugget must be individually considered, shaped, drilled, smoothed, and polished before the stones can be arranged into a harmonious strand. Historic museum examples of Kewa jewelry document these traditions of grinding, drilling, polishing, and stringing turquoise by hand. Small pale heishi spacers between the nuggets add rhythm and separation, allowing the remarkable matrix and coloration of every piece of Royston to be appreciated individually.

What makes our necklace especially rare is the convergence of so many qualities in a single piece: vintage family-held Royston, unusually large natural nuggets, extraordinary variation in color and matrix, and the unmistakable hand of accomplished Kewa artisans. A necklace such as this cannot simply be reproduced by ordering another set of matching stones. The material itself is finite, the nuggets are individually distinct, and the composition depends upon the artisans’ eye for balancing form, color, weight, and movement.

Jean Marie personally selected this necklace from the artisan couple whose work she has patronized over time and whom she has come to know closely. That relationship makes pieces such as this one particularly special to her: she is supporting not simply an object, but the hands, knowledge, family history, and individual creativity behind it. She was captivated by the necklace’s unusual green palette, remarkable scale, and beautifully imperfect stones. Entirely handmade and truly one of a kind, our necklace is a singular meeting of rare vintage turquoise, painstaking craftsmanship, family legacy, friendship, and the enduring artistry of Santo Domingo Pueblo.

Support artisans. Wear art. Be unique.

Length 21.5"

Weight 127 grams

Made in New Mexico, USA.