Santo Domingo jewelry provides an excellent insight into pre-European influence Native American jewelry. For hundreds of years craftspeople at Santo Domingo Pueblo (traditional name Kewa) were known for their masterful use of shell, turquoise, and jet in jewelry traded throughout the Southwest. The word "heishi" comes from the Santo Domingo word for “shell,” one of the primary materials used in jewelry before the introduction of metallurgy by the Spanish in the sixteenth century. Heishi necklaces are made by stringing stone beads or discs together to create seamless color-block patterns. Often these beads or discs are carefully shaped by Santo Domingo lapidarists and then polished to perfection, preventing gapping between the stones. Other times, heishi necklaces intentionally use uneven stones to create a textured look. Shells are still very popular in Santo Domingo jewelry and are often used as necklace pendants or as the primary stone in earrings. Discover our full range of Native American and Southwestern jewelry at https://www.truewestgallery.com/category/jewelry
37" & 3 1/2"