Turquoise and Tiger's Eye Santo Domingo Necklace Five Strands

Our Turquoise & Tiger’s Eye Santo Domingo Five-Strand Necklace is a beautiful expression of Southwestern artistry, handcrafted exclusively for our collection by a talented female artisan from Santo Domingo (Kewa) Pueblo. This special piece was commissioned by our founder, Jean Marie, whose long-standing relationships with Native artisans are built on mutual respect and a shared appreciation for traditional craftsmanship. Rather than simply selecting finished jewelry, Jean Marie enjoys collaborating directly with artisans to create designs that honor their heritage while allowing exceptional natural materials to take center stage. Here, luminous turquoise and richly colored tiger’s eye are brought together across five graceful strands, creating a necklace that feels both deeply rooted and wonderfully contemporary.

Santo Domingo Pueblo is renowned for its extraordinary tradition of handmade beadwork and heishi. For generations, Kewa artisans have painstakingly transformed stone and shell by cutting the material into small pieces, drilling each one, stringing them together, and then carefully grinding, smoothing, and polishing the beads until they achieve their characteristic form. It is an intensely laborious process requiring patience, precision, and an experienced eye. In this necklace, hundreds of slender beads flow together across five strands, with flashes of brilliant turquoise punctuating the deep brown tiger’s eye and a dramatic concentration of blue adding an unexpected asymmetry to the composition.

Turquoise has been treasured by Southwestern Native peoples for centuries and can carry associations with water, sky, protection, health, and abundance, although meanings vary among communities and individuals. Fine natural turquoise from respected Southwestern sources has also become increasingly collectible as supplies from many historic mines have diminished. Tiger’s eye, meanwhile, is prized for its warm chocolate, bronze, and golden tones and the beautiful shifting light known as chatoyancy. Together, the two materials create a sophisticated contrast of cool blue and deep earth tones that seems to capture the landscape of the Southwest itself.

More than simply a necklace, this piece tells a story of friendship, collaboration, and the continuation of demanding handcraft. Jean Marie especially values the opportunity to commission jewelry directly from Native artisans, knowing how much time and skill lies behind every strand. Entirely handmade and impossible to reproduce exactly, this five-strand necklace is equally striking worn alone against a simple white shirt or layered over a flowing Pax Philomena kaftan, a distinctive piece of wearable art to enjoy now and eventually pass forward.

Length 17"

Made in New Mexico, USA.