{"product_id":"turquoise-and-heishi-shell-santo-domingo-necklace-three-strand","title":"Turquoise and Heishi Shell Santo Domingo Necklace Three Strand","description":"\u003cp\u003eOur Turquoise and Heishi Shell Three Strand Necklace Santo Domingo is a beautiful expression of Kewa craftsmanship, handmade by a talented female artisan from Santo Domingo Pueblo. Three graceful strands of turquoise heishi fall fluidly around the neckline, creating an uninterrupted field of luminous blue-green punctuated by the natural brown and earthy matrix within the stones. There is an effortless sophistication to its apparent simplicity: rather than relying on elaborate ornament, the necklace allows the extraordinary material and the precision of the artisan’s handwork to become the entire statement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTurquoise has been treasured by Southwestern Native peoples for centuries and has long held an important place in Pueblo adornment. Its associations can include water, sky, health, abundance, and protection, although meanings vary among communities and individuals. Finding enough beautiful turquoise to create three coordinated strands of hand-cut heishi is increasingly challenging. Each piece of rough varies naturally in color, hardness, and matrix, and considerable material is lost during cutting and grinding. Bringing together hundreds of beads with this degree of harmony requires not only access to exceptional stone, but also an experienced eye for color and proportion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe artistry lies in the traditional heishi-making process, one of the great jewelry traditions of Santo Domingo Pueblo. Each tiny piece of turquoise must be cut into a blank, individually drilled, strung, then patiently ground, smoothed, and polished until the separate stones flow together as a remarkably fluid strand. The subtle differences in thickness, blue-green tone, and matrix are not imperfections; they are the unmistakable signatures of natural stone shaped by hand. Creating this level of consistency across three strands represents an extraordinary amount of quiet, meticulous labor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJean Marie is especially drawn to Santo Domingo jewelry in which generations of technique result in something that feels completely contemporary. Her appreciation began as a child visiting the Pueblos with her mother, Philomena, and today she continues to seek out and patronize skilled female Native artisans whose work speaks to that lifelong connection. Elegant against a crisp white shirt, silk tunic, or flowing Pax Philomena kaftan, this necklace is understated wearable sculpture, entirely handmade, impossible to reproduce exactly, and meant to be treasured for generations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLength 20\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMade in New Mexico, USA.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"PAX PHILOMENA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67901454680383,"sku":"TURQTHREESTRAND-20\"","price":475.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2529\/6354\/files\/TurquoiseHeishiNecklaceonBust_aaafde77-7c53-4120-9dd6-0088fd02eb50.png?v=1793309294","url":"https:\/\/paxphilomena.com\/products\/turquoise-and-heishi-shell-santo-domingo-necklace-three-strand","provider":"PAX PHILOMENA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}