Description

This exquisite graduated turquoise heishi necklace has two attached jaclas with shell centers of six pieces each. There are six shell heishi on each side of the double strands of Kingman turquoise. Each section of this gorgeous piece is separated by very tiny coral heishi beads.

The entire piece is strung on the original string.

A jacla, the Navajo word for ear string, is two loops of heishi that were originally earrings and are quite often fastened to the bottom of a necklace as a pendant-like attachment.

This style necklace is the most traditional of all necklaces associated with the Pueblo and Navajo cultures. Long before silver was introduced, necklaces of turquoise, heishi, shell, coral and many other natural materials were made and worn by Native Americans.  This is the style being worn when the Spaniards arrived in the 16th Century; and this is the style still worn today during religious and social dances. Beautiful in its stunning natural simplicity this piece celebrates hundreds of years of the continuous use of turquoise and shell in Native American jewelry.

Condition: Excellent- original condition
Provenance: Purchased from Silver Day Trading Company, Dayton Simmons, turquoise expert. It comes from a private collector in Santa Fe.