Rare Gaspeite, Turquoise, and Heishi Shell Three Strand Necklace Santo Domingo

Our Rare Gaspeite, Turquoise, and Heishi Shell Three Strand Necklace Santo Domingo is an extraordinary study in color, traditional technique, and the quiet sophistication of handmade Kewa jewelry. Created especially for Pax Philomena by a talented female artisan from Santo Domingo Pueblo, the necklace was commissioned through Jean Marie’s close relationship with the artist. Three graceful strands move from vivid apple-green gaspeite into luminous blue turquoise, creating a striking transition of color that feels almost painterly. The design is wonderfully restrained, allowing the unusual materials, precise handwork, and natural variations within every bead to become the focus.

Gaspeite gives this necklace its particularly distinctive character. Named for Québec’s Gaspé Peninsula, where the mineral was first identified, this rare nickel carbonate is prized for its unmistakable yellow-green to apple-green color. Fine lapidary material has become increasingly difficult to source, making a substantial quantity of beautifully coordinated gaspeite especially desirable. Against it, the turquoise seems almost illuminated. Treasured in Southwestern Native jewelry for centuries, turquoise may carry associations with water, sky, health, abundance, and protection, although meanings vary among communities and individuals. Together, the two colors evoke the extraordinary contrast of green desert vegetation beneath an expansive Southwestern sky.

Equally remarkable is the traditional heishi workmanship for which Santo Domingo Pueblo is renowned. Each small disc begins as natural material that must be cut, individually drilled, strung, then patiently ground, smoothed, and polished by hand. Creating three flowing strands requires hundreds of individually worked elements and an exacting eye for proportion. Here, the artisan has arranged the gaspeite and turquoise in broad passages of uninterrupted color rather than simply alternating them, giving the necklace a distinctly contemporary sensibility. Subtle changes in matrix, tone, thickness, and surface are not imperfections—they are the unmistakable evidence of natural stone and the human hand.

For Jean Marie, this is precisely the kind of piece that makes commissioning jewelry directly from Native artisans so meaningful. Her relationship with this artist has developed through friendship, trust, and a shared fascination with exceptional materials and traditional craftsmanship. Jean Marie was immediately captivated by the unusual gaspeite and by the confidence of pairing such intense green with turquoise blue. Entirely handmade and impossible to duplicate exactly, this three-strand necklace is collectible wearable art—a singular expression of Kewa craftsmanship, remarkable natural materials, and the personal collaboration behind its creation.

Made in New Mexico, USA

Length 20" with clasp