Sleeping Beauty Disc Turquoise Necklace Santo Domingo

Our Sleeping Beauty Disc Turquoise Necklace Santo Domingo is an extraordinary expression of museum-quality Kewa craftsmanship, handmade by a renowned female artisan whose work has been exhibited at the National Museum of the American Indian in Manhattan. Jean Marie considers her among the finest female artisans whose work she has collected. Hundreds of luminous turquoise discs form a richly textured strand, their irregular silhouettes creating movement while revealing the unmistakable presence of the artist’s hand. Brilliant sky and robin’s-egg blues mingle with natural matrix and subtle variations, making every stone—and the necklace as a whole—completely unique.

Sleeping Beauty turquoise is exceptionally rare today. Production at the celebrated mine near Globe, Arizona, ended in 2012, and without an artisan’s saved supply of rough material, finding enough of this distinctive turquoise for a substantial necklace can be extraordinarily difficult. For this piece, the artisan drew from her own stockpile, carefully kept over the years. She selected and shaped the stones into hundreds of luminous discs—a remarkable use of material that is no longer being newly mined.

Turquoise holds deep significance for many Native American peoples, though its meanings and traditions vary among communities. Beyond its beauty, it can carry connections to the natural world, including sky and water. In this necklace, Sleeping Beauty’s luminous blue meets a Kewa bead-making tradition passed from one generation to the next.

Each piece of turquoise is individually selected, cut, drilled, ground, smoothed, and polished before becoming a disc. The artisan learned this meticulous craft from her mother and grandmother, inheriting not only the techniques but also the patience and care they require. She makes jewelry only when she is happy, believing that she infuses each piece with that happiness and goodwill. Subtle differences in thickness and contour remain in the finished discs, giving the necklace its natural movement and sculptural rhythm.

Jean Marie’s connection to Native American artistry reaches back to childhood. As a young girl, she traveled through New Mexico with her mother, Philomena, visiting Native American pueblos and developing a lasting appreciation for the people, artistry, and traditions of handcraft. Those early journeys continue to shape what she selects for Pax Philomena. She especially values her relationship with this artisan and the opportunity to collect her limited creations.

Made from rare Sleeping Beauty turquoise drawn from the artisan’s own saved stockpile and shaped bead by bead by hand, this necklace is an heirloom in the truest sense. Its one-of-a-kind character, the scarcity of its turquoise, and the generations of knowledge and care embodied in its making give it a significance to treasure now and pass on to another generation.

Support artisans. Wear art. Be unique.

Made in New Mexico, USA

Turquoise discs vary from 10–15 mm  
Turquoise beads at the ends: 4.5 mm  
Length: 23.5"  
Weight: 113 grams