Gaspeite, Heishi and Touch of Turquoise Necklace Santo Domingo
Our Gaspeite, Heishi & Touch of Turquoise Santo Domingo Necklace immediately draws you in with its extraordinary green. Multiple strands of finely worked gaspeite heishi style beads create a rich field of apple, chartreuse, and earthy yellow-green, while tiny touches of turquoise appear unexpectedly throughout like flashes of blue sky. Commissioned especially for us and handmade by a female Santo Domingo (Kewa) Pueblo artisan, it has the quiet elegance that comes from letting exceptional natural materials speak for themselves. Gaspeite is one of the more unusual stones found in contemporary Southwestern jewelry. Named after the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec, it later became particularly associated with material mined in Western Australia. Its distinctive apple-green color made it highly desirable among Native American jewelers and collectors, yet quality material has become increasingly difficult to source as important deposits have been depleted. Here, the natural variations and occasional matrix remain visible, giving every tiny bead individuality. The workmanship belongs to the celebrated jewelry tradition of Santo Domingo Pueblo, or Kewa Pueblo, where generations of artisans have become renowned for heishi. Creating beads this small requires tremendous patience. Stone is cut, drilled, shaped, ground, and polished before being carefully strung so that hundreds of individual pieces flow together harmoniously. The apparent simplicity is deceptive; achieving this kind of balance, consistency, and graceful drape requires an experienced hand. Jean Marie has always been particularly drawn to gaspeite and its unmistakable lime-green color. It is also a shade that appears as an accent in many of our exclusive Italian silk prints, making this necklace a natural companion to the collection. The unexpected touches of turquoise add another layer of color, allowing the necklace to pair beautifully with silks in blues, greens, corals, and other rich hues. Jean Marie has always loved bringing these two worlds together—the extraordinary tradition of Native American jewelry and the vibrant color of our Italian silks. Number of Strands: 3 Made in USA Length:19" with clasp