Abalone and Heishi Shell Necklace Santo Domingo

Our Abalone and Heishi Shell Necklace is an extraordinary example of traditional Kewa craftsmanship, handmade by a female artisan from Santo Domingo Pueblo. What immediately distinguishes this one-of-a-kind piece is the unusual, softly squared form of the abalone beads. Each piece of shell has been individually cut, drilled, shaped, and polished by hand with remarkable precision, then carefully matched and strung into graceful strands.

Abalone is one of nature’s most mesmerizing materials. Its colors shift dramatically with the light, revealing pearl, bronze, taupe, silvery grey, deep green, blue, and extraordinary flashes of iridescence. Achieving this degree of harmony using a material that is naturally so varied requires tremendous patience and an experienced eye. Yet no two beads are precisely alike, giving the necklace an individuality that could never be reproduced.

The contrasting heishi shell adds another dimension to the piece and connects it to a centuries-old tradition of shell jewelry making at Santo Domingo Pueblo. Each element must be painstakingly worked by hand before the necklace can even begin to take form. It is precisely this labor-intensive process—and the extraordinary skill required to execute it beautifully—that makes fine Kewa jewelry increasingly special.

For Jean Marie, this necklace is made even more meaningful by her close relationship with the female artisan who created it. She deeply appreciates her extraordinary workmanship and takes great pleasure in patronizing her work. These are skills learned over generations, and supporting the artisans who continue to practice them helps preserve an important living tradition.

The result is a necklace of exceptional individuality: sophisticated, luminous, sculptural, and unmistakably handmade. The natural iridescence of the abalone ensures that the necklace changes constantly with the light, while the hand-cut forms reveal the presence of the maker at every turn.

This is not a design that can simply be reordered or reproduced. It is a singular expression of natural shell and an artisan’s hand—a true one-of-a-kind piece to collect, wear, and treasure.