Material: Turquoise, Jet, White Clam Shell, Spiny Oyster Shell, Sugilite, Serpentine, Pipestone, Sterling Silver (Hook & Eye)
Dimensions: 24" long. Main pendant is 1-1/8" x 1-7/8". Widest Jet stones (bottom of necklace) are 3/8" at their widest.
Weight (in grams): 44
Hallmark/Signature: Mary Louise Tafoya, Butterfly symbol (Inscribed)
Mary Tafoya's artistic style is a contemporary version of the traditional mosaic inlay style seen in the early 1900s, made of stones and shells. Born and raised in Santo Domingo Pueblo (Kewa), she draws inspiration from nature. She learned her craft from her parents. Her artwork has won numerous awards in prestigious Native American Art Shows: Santa Fe Indian Market, Heard Museum, Eiteljorg Museum.
The Santo Domingo Pueblo tribe (Kewa) is known for their bead-making skills. Heishi (hee-shee) is a term referring to round hand-made beads, usually as necklaces, created from any natural materials such as turquoise, coral, abalone, serpentine, lapis, black jet, etc.
The process of making handmade heishi beads is painstaking, as the natural stone is cut into small square slabs and a hole is drilled in each one. Then the slabs are strung on a wire and meticulously ground and polished into smooth round beads.
Depending on the raw material used, it can take from two days to two weeks to hand-produce one single string of heishi beads.
