Gaspeite, Turquoise and Heishi Necklace Santo Domingo

Our Gaspeite, Turquoise and Heishi Necklace was created especially for us by a talented female Santo Domingo Pueblo artisan, bringing together two increasingly treasured stones in three graceful strands of traditional hand-worked heishi. Jean Marie worked closely with the artisan to commission this piece, discussing the combination of stones and allowing the artisan’s own hand and artistic instinct to guide the finished design.

Gaspeite is particularly special and increasingly difficult to obtain. First identified in Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula, from which it takes its name, this distinctive nickel carbonate is loved for its unmistakable yellow-green to apple-green color. Much of the material prized by Southwestern jewelry artists historically came from deposits associated with nickel mining in Australia, and quality gaspeite has become considerably harder to source. Paired here with turquoise, another stone deeply associated with Southwestern adornment, the contrast is extraordinary: earthy, luminous green meeting the unmistakable blue of turquoise.

The beauty of this necklace is also found in its heishi workmanship. Creating heishi is a painstaking process requiring small pieces of material to be cut, drilled, strung, ground, and carefully finished until hundreds of individual beads flow together with remarkable consistency. With three strands, that labor becomes even more apparent. Look closely and subtle variations remain in the stones, reminding us that these are natural materials shaped by hand rather than something manufactured to absolute uniformity.

For Jean Marie, pieces like this are about far more than color. Her relationship with the artisan has grown through working together, exchanging ideas, and developing pieces that respect the long jewelry-making traditions of Santo Domingo Pueblo, also known as Kewa Pueblo, while allowing each artisan’s individual creativity to remain at the heart of the work. The result is a necklace with a story behind it, commissioned with intention, made slowly by hand, and created through a personal relationship between Jean Marie and the woman who brought it to life.

Length 19.5"

Made in New Mexico, USA 

Strands:3