Vintage Heishi, Turquoise and Red Jasper Necklace Santo Domingo

This Vintage Santo Domingo Heishi and Turquoise Necklace is a radiant testament to the enduring artistry of the Pueblo people, a piece that bridges history, heritage, and spirit. Handmade during the 1970s, a golden era for traditional Native American jewelry, this necklace embodies the quiet elegance and meticulous craftsmanship that define Santo Domingo artistry. Each bead tells a story, shaped by hands guided by generations of inherited skill and cultural reverence.

The turquoise, drawn from now-scarce mines of the American Southwest, glows with a depth of color that feels both ancient and alive, the color of the desert sky after rain. Once regarded as a sacred stone of protection and balance, turquoise connects the wearer to the elements of earth and sky. Its rareness today speaks to a lost chapter of craftsmanship, when every stone was personally chosen, shaped, and polished by hand.

Balancing the turquoise are the traditional heishi shell beads, whose roots trace back nearly two thousand years. Made by grinding and polishing natural shell into perfect discs, heishi is one of the oldest jewelry-making traditions in North America. For the Santo Domingo artisans, shell represents water, harmony, and continuity, the perfect complement to turquoise, which symbolizes earth and strength. Together, they embody the union of natural forces, grounding and uplifting the spirit of the one who wears them.

This vintage necklace, with its serene simplicity and soft rhythm of color, captures a moment in time when jewelry was not just worn, but lived with, cherished as both personal adornment and spiritual expression. To wear it is to honor a legacy of artistry, devotion, and the enduring beauty of handmade tradition.

Length: 16”  end to end

Largest bead is 5.6mm in size, smallest is 3.5mm.

Made in USA