Antique Vintage Sterling Silver Native Santo Domingo Pueblo Bead Necklace 129g

  
We have similar Native and Pueblo Santo Domingo items, which would pair nicely with this piece, for sale this week. Listing Description by: Angela A.

Age Circa: Antique Native Pueblo Santo Domingo C. Markings: Unmarked, tested, and guaranteed. Country of Origin: United States, Pueblo Nation. Round bead diameter: 6.6 mm to 8.96 mm. Elongated bead length : 14.35 mm to 15.01 mm.

Elongated bead width: 6.26 mm to 7.93 mm. Color: opaque bright blue hue with a mottled brown and cream matrix. Length: 14.66 mm to 15.27 mm.

Width: 6.45 mm to 7.36 mm. Color : opaque bright red hue with lighter red hues throughout. Stone Treatment: The stone(s) appear to be untreated, but we are not certified gemologists. Stone(s) have been tested and guaranteed using a professional Presidium Duo refractive, heat, and hardness tester.

Stone Cuts: Carved and polished turquoise and red coral heishi beads. Wearable length: 24" to 26" with adjustable chain. Sterling silver bead width: 6.2 mm to 11.01 mm.

Closure/Clasp Type: Hook and eye catch. Link Type: Beads on string.

Handmade by a talented Pueblo artisan located in Santa Domingo Pueblo (now Kewa Pubelo), New Mexico, in the 1950s. Features four long strands of string adorned with a multitude of beautiful turquoise and red coral heishi beads, and sterling silver bench beads.

Each stone heishi bead was expertly hand-carved, and the bright red hues of the coral contrast beautifully with the blue turquoise with its cream and tan matrix. The sterling silver bench beads were entirely handmade. The four strands end in these bench beads, which are underneath a large sterling silver cap topped by a scalloped bench bead.

Finished with a sterling silver hook and eye clasp for secure wear. The round turquoise beads are somewhat matte, and can be re-polished by your local jeweler, if desired. There is tarnish is some areas of the sterling silver, giving the item a lovely antique quality. There is natural pitting to several of the red coral stones, which does not affect wear. There is also some light wear to the faces off several of the larger turquoise heishi beads, though the beads remain secure and this does not affect wear.

This listing is for the item only. This beautiful piece was made by a very talented Native American silversmith. It features handcrafted silversmith work throughout.

Antique Native American jewelry is very rare to find. This is due to these pieces being made for reservation and personal use before the tourist trade became popular. Very few pieces were made and even less survived to today. Kewa Pueblo, formerly known as Santo Domingo Pueblo, is located on the Rio Grande and is particularly known for Native Pueblo artists who create heishi necklaces made of bone, shell and turquoise beads, some of which are so finely cut that they almost look like strands of hair.

These beautiful and colorful necklaces are also sometimes incorrectly identified as "Depression Jewelry", however their origin certainly predates the Great Depression, and they are still being made today by Kewa artists. Pueblo artisans are also quite famous for their inlaid mosaic-like pieces. The concept of Pawn, Old Pawn, and Dead Pawn Native American Jewelry came to be in the 1800s.

When a loan wasn't repaid, the item became known as either "Old Pawn" or Dead Pawn. Heishi, or Heishe (pronounced "hee shee"), are tiny beads that are disc-, tube-, and even sometimes square-shaped, originally made from shell that has been ground and drilled. In modern times, Heishi has come to mean any tiny hand-made beads of any natural material. Modern Heishi pieces include stone, wood, bone, nuts, eggs, and metal. The oldest examples of Heishi date back to around 6000 BCE, to the Pueblo Native Americans, and is the oldest form of jewelry in New Mexico. The word Heishi means "shell" and ancient Pueblo artisans used many kinds of seashells that they obtained through trade with tribes in the Gulf of California; including spiny oysters, mother-of-pearl, and melon shell. Turquoise is found all over the world and has been a popular semi-precious stone used in jewelry and art for thousands of years by many different cultures; from prehistoric times to the present. Turquoise comes in many beautiful color variations; from the popular bright solid sky-blue hues to dark blue hues with dark spiderwebbing throughout, as well as aqua, teal, and many green varieties, and even some rare white with dark spiderwebbing.

Red coral has played an important part in Chinese art, culture, and style throughout history and into the 21st century. Red coral has been used as an ornamental stone or material in Chinese jewelry, carvings, and sculptures because of its vibrant variety of red hues. In ancient times, red coral was delivered to China by the Silk Roads from Italy, by sea from the Persian Gulf, and from the Mediterranean Sea via the Indian Ocean.

The amount of natural red color has dramatically decreased in recent years due to environmental factors and coral harvesting. The quantity of manufactured coral on the market has increased as the popularity of Chinese red coral continues. This item is in the category "Jewelry & Watches\Ethnic, Regional & Tribal\Necklaces & Pendants". The seller is "abeautifultimeco" and is located in this country: US. This item can be shipped worldwide.

• Department: Womens
• Brand: Unbranded
• Metal: Sterling Silver
• Metal Purity: .925
• Main Stone: Turquoise
• Material: String
• Modified Item: No
• Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
• Jewelry Type: Necklaces
• Country of Origin: United States, Pueblo Nation
• Tribal Affiliation: Santo Domingo
• Featured Refinements: Santo Domingo Necklace
• Ethnic Origin: Pueblo
• Accent Stones: Red Coral
• Ethnic & Regional Style: Native American
• Type: Necklace
• Style: Beaded