Gaspeite, Turquoise, and Heishi Three Strand Santo Domingo Necklace

Our Gaspeite, Turquoise, and Heishi Three Strand Santo Domingo Necklace was created especially for us by a talented female Kewa (Santo Domingo) Pueblo artisan, bringing together two extraordinary stones in three beautifully balanced strands of meticulously handmade heishi. Jean Marie worked closely with the artisan to commission this necklace, drawn to her ability to work beyond the expected and transform unusual materials into something remarkably sophisticated. The graceful transition from vivid gaspeite green to brilliant turquoise blue gives the necklace an almost painterly quality, while the three strands create richness and presence without sacrificing elegance.

Gaspeite is what makes this piece particularly unusual. Named for Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula, where it was first identified, this distinctive nickel carbonate is prized for its intense yellow-green to apple-green coloration. Fine material has become increasingly difficult to obtain, making gaspeite especially desirable in Southwestern jewelry. Against it, the turquoise feels almost electric. Turquoise has a centuries-long history in Southwestern adornment and has been treasured by Pueblo peoples for generations. Here, its clear blue creates a striking counterpoint to the luminous chartreuse tones of the gaspeite, a combination Jean Marie found immediately captivating.

Equally exceptional is the handmade heishi workmanship. Each tiny disc begins as a piece of natural material that must be cut, drilled, shaped, ground, polished, and finally strung by hand. Creating one beautifully flowing strand demands extraordinary patience; creating three requires hundreds of individually worked components and an exacting eye for proportion. The subtle variations in color, matrix, thickness, and surface are not imperfections, they are the unmistakable signatures of natural stone and the artisan’s hand. No machine-made necklace could possess quite the same character, and no two examples could ever be identical.

For Jean Marie, this is precisely the kind of jewelry worth seeking out and supporting. Her relationship with the artisan has developed through collaboration, trust, and a shared appreciation for exceptional materials and traditional workmanship. She especially loves the rarity of this combination and the way the three strands seem to come alive against the skin. Commissioned with intention, painstakingly handmade, and inherently one of a kind, this necklace is not simply an accessory, it is a collectible expression of Kewa artistry, remarkable materials, and the personal relationship between Jean Marie and the woman who created it.

Length 19.5"

Made in New Mexico, USA.