Orange and Red Spiny Oyster, Turquoise, and Silver Kokopelli Necklace Santo Domingo

This museum-quality necklace is an exceptional example of traditional Southwestern craftsmanship, featuring vibrant orange and red spiny oyster shell beads accented with sterling silver Kokopelli designs. Created in the revered heishi tradition, each bead has been individually hand-cut, shaped, and polished by a highly skilled Native artisan, the same artist who lovingly creates these pieces exclusively for us. Her mastery of this ancient bead-making technique, passed down through generations, reflects remarkable patience, cultural devotion, and artistic integrity. Necklaces of this caliber are the kind collected by connoisseurs and displayed in institutions such as the National Museum of the American Indian in New York, where this particular artist was invited to exhibit. At the back of the necklace, a strand of natural turquoise beads adds an intentional finishing touch, offering balance, protection, and a grounding energy to this vibrant piece. Turquoise, revered as the “Stone of the Sky,” has been cherished throughout the Southwest for centuries as a symbol of wisdom, healing, protection, and good fortune, making its presence both meaningful and complementary to the fiery spiny oyster.

Spiny oyster shell, sourced from the warm waters of the Gulf of California, has been treasured for centuries for its bold, fiery hues, radiant oranges, deep reds, are among the rarest colours, they symbolize vitality, life force, and spiritual endurance. Historically, shells were among the most precious trade materials across tribal nations, valued both for their beauty and their sacred significance in ceremonial and personal adornment. Wearing spiny oyster honors this enduring legacy, carrying forward a tradition rooted in nature, storytelling, and cultural exchange.

Hand-finished sterling silver accents featuring Kokopelli, the joyful flute-playing spirit of abundance, creativity, and transformation, bring the piece additional meaning. Beloved throughout the Southwest, Kokopelli represents blessings, music, growth, and joyful evolution. His presence balances the bold energy of the spiny oyster shell with harmony and positivity, making this necklace not only visually striking but spiritually uplifting.

Adding to its provenance, our founder, Jean Marie, personally selected this necklace for its exceptional craftsmanship, cultural significance, and soul. She chose it because of the deep connection it carries, the hand of the artisan, the sacred materials, and the story woven into its creation. Each necklace she selects is chosen with the intention that it be worn, loved, and cherished as art.

More than jewelry, the Orange & Red Spiny Oyster and Silver Kokopelli Necklace is a wearable work of cultural heritage, a collector’s piece that honors Native tradition, female artistry, and the beauty of handmade craftsmanship. It is the kind of piece that belongs in both private collections and museum archives, where its brilliance, meaning, and spirit can be treasured for generations to come.