Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Chunky Necklace with Heishi Beads

Our Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Chunky Heishi Necklace is an extraordinary celebration of Santo Domingo Pueblo artistry, handcrafted by a talented female artisan who created this magnificent piece exclusively for Pax Philomena. In the Santo Domingo tradition, jewelry is more than adornment, it is legacy, identity, and a continuation of one of the oldest artistic traditions in the Southwest. This necklace is made from stones so rare that they could only come from an artisan’s private stash, saved over many years with intention and care. When the Sleeping Beauty mine closed, the world lost access to its legendary, vividly blue turquoise. Only artisans who had the foresight to stockpile their finest stones still hold these treasures, and it is from those precious reserves that this necklace was born.

Sleeping Beauty turquoise has long been cherished for its celestial, robin’s-egg glow and deep cultural meaning. In Pueblo tradition, turquoise embodies protection, water, sky, harmony, and blessing. The bold, chunky stones in this necklace are paired with elements of traditional heishi, one of the oldest jewelry forms in the Americas. Heishi, originally made from shell, requires tremendous patience, precision, and an artistic eye to achieve its rhythmic flow and smooth finish. This piece merges the ancestral beauty of heishi with the dramatic presence of large, natural turquoise nuggets, creating a necklace that radiates both strength and softness.

To wear this necklace is to feel its story. It drapes in generous strands, full of movement, color, and spirit. Against white linen, denim, or a simple black dress, it transforms an outfit with effortless Southwestern elegance. Its turquoise glows with a purity that is instantly recognizable and increasingly impossible to find. Whether worn casually or as the centerpiece of a special occasion, this necklace carries presence, it is joyful, powerful, and deeply expressive, inviting admiration in every setting.

But beyond its beauty lies something even more meaningful: a personal gift from the artisan herself. By parting with stones from her private reserves, stones that can never be replaced, she has allowed us to share in her heritage, skill, and artistic pride. In today’s world, where high-grade Sleeping Beauty turquoise has become nearly unattainable, this necklace is not just a piece of jewelry; it is a once-in-a-lifetime treasure. A piece of Santo Domingo history, crafted by the hands of a woman who carries that tradition forward, and shared with us so it may continue its journey with someone who will cherish it.