Kewa Puebloan Artist- 'WARREN NIETO'- Mayan-Mesoamerican- Ancestral Puebloan-Ancient Inspired - Royal/Noble - Multi 10 Strand Turquoise Beaded-Nacozari Turquoise Mosaic Panel Necklace

$2,595.00

THE THUNDERBIRD EARRINGS SHOWN BEING WORN WITH THE NECKLACE CAN BE FOUND UNDER THE ‘EARRINGS 3” CATEGORY! WE CARRY MANY DIFFERENT STYLES BY WARREN THAT YOU’LL FIND IN NEARLY EVERY EARRING CATEGORY THAT WILL COMPLIMENT THIS NECKLACE!

A PERSONAL WORD ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Kewa Puebloan artist Warren Nieto is a true favorite of the public and consistently ranks near the very top of my personal list for many meaningful reasons. I consider him not only a genuine friend whom I deeply admire and trust, but also an artist whose work flows directly from his rich Ancestral Puebloan roots, honoring tradition while bringing his own thoughtful voice to each piece. When it comes to collaborating and teaming with any artist, Warren is always among my first choices — reliable, creative, and deeply committed to both his art and community.

These traditions have been carefully and respectfully passed down through generations via a profound oral history that stretches back into the Common Era, reaching to the era when Warren’s ancestors lived in the historic Chaco Canyon, Pueblo Bonito, and Mesa Verde regions long before the arrival of settlers, carrying with them ceremonial knowledge, ancestral techniques, and cultural memory across centuries.

Unlike many other Kewa Puebloan artists, Warren Nieto doesn’t simply create mosaic-lapidary work for the sake of visual appeal alone; instead, he thoughtfully and consistently designs each piece around a meaningful and authentic Pueblo or historical story, ensuring that every creation carries deep cultural significance and reflects the traditions and heritage that inspire it.

A proud Pueblo man and devoted family person, Warren consistently draws inspiration from a higher power and his spiritual guides, who grant him the keen “eye” that allows his hands to bring forth the stunning jewelry he masterfully creates. What you receive from Warren are like beautifully painted historical Puebloan stories, artfully told through thoughtful combinations of vibrant stones, delicate shells, and meticulous workmanship.

THE NECKLACE:

This is the third series that Warren and I have collaborated on, where we work closely as a team to revive some of the more historical styles and ensure they are never forgotten, while also tracing back to the roots from which many modern designs were derived. Throughout the entire creation process of this necklace, Warren paid meticulous attention to every intricate detail, carefully ensuring that it remains as historically accurate and faithful to the original era as possible, preserving the rich spirit and cultural significance of the past.

Whether looked at as “Ancestral Puebloan-Mesoamerican or Mayan”, this ancient inspired necklace was designed with the thought of what the “Royal or Noble” people from these areas might have worn! In Mesoamerica for example, royal and noble jewelry was a powerful display of status, wealth, divine connection, and political power, using precious materials like jade, gold, turquoise, shell, and feathers to signify rank, with strict laws limiting who could wear certain items, marking nobility and priesthood, and often featuring motifs like water or fertility for spiritual significance.. And the higher the status, the bigger, more elaborate the jewelry.

This collar style necklace was totally made with nothing but “Lapidary” techniques & nothing in it was produced by a commercial manufacture.

Used to anchor the long 7 mosaic panels, are 10 strands of very precisely cut 3 mm round Kingman turquoise beads. The panels are made in a somewhat irregular trapezoid shape & are entirely mosaic inlaid with a teal color Nacozari Sonoran turquoise that has been left with a ‘matte’, finishing, as if aged. The panels alternate with Abalone & orange Spiny Oyster shell & are carefully secured atop of a wood backing. The wood is drilled from east to west so the turquoise beads can be threaded through to lead to the next panel. Dangling from the panels are turquoise tabs, mother of pearl and little seashells. These charms are connected by way of ‘string’ This method was the way the Pueblo people would connect things all those years ago, before man came out with metal jump rings! The string is then tightly tied off & then ‘burned to make them secure & stable.

Lastly, the closure is Warren’s OWN DESIGN, a clever invention in which he thoughtfully carved a small bone for one end and fashioned a complementary “T”-shaped piece from abalone for the other, creating his own custom-made toggle. What I find easiest is to position the larger hole of the bone vertically, then thread the abalone “T” bar through that hole while also feeding the turquoise beads that sit between the abalone and the chunky cube cut turquoise beads onto the same stem. (See toggle photos 18-19) Once the T bar and beads are through, the beads then will sit where they should and the bone will lay horizontally when the toggle is closed. It may take a minute to discover the most comfortable method that works for you, but with a little practice the process becomes quicker and much more intuitive.

Be sure to check out Warren’s Ancestral Puebloan earrings & more necklaces, including "HOHOKAM" inspired necklaces!! (A ultra gorgeous 5 strand Charm Necklace from the series can be found under “Necklaces”, whereas all the others are under this same “Necklace 2” category! Earrings are under the “Earrings 3” category!

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ANCESTRAL PUEBLO-MAYAN-MESOAMERICAN SERIES NECKLACE:

ARTIST: WARREN NIETO - MADE EXCLUSIVELY FOR PLATA de SANTA FE JEWELRY

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: KEWA VILLAGE-(SANTO DOMINGO PUEBLO)

WEIGHT: 4.8 OUNCES (138 GRAMS)

SHORTEST INNER 1ST STRAND WEARABLE LENGTH: 17” (BECAUSE OF THE CURVATURE & THE ABILITY TO NOT LAY COMPLETELY STRAIGHT, THIS MEASUREMENT IS “APPROXIMATE”- THE 17” DOES NOT INCLUDE THE LENGTH WITH THE PANELS & CHARMS)

PANEL SIZE: FROM 2” LONG TO 3” LONG (SEE PHOTOS 3,4,5,6)

TURQUOISE MOSAIC : NACOZARI SONORAN TURQUOISE

OTHER MATERIALS: ORANGE SPINY OYSTER-ABALONE & MOTHER OF PEARL-SEA SHELLS-WAXED STRING-BONE(ON TOGGLE)

KINGMAN TURQUOISE BEAD SIZE: 3 MM ROUND

STRAND AMOUNT: 10

HALLMARK: “WN” WITH “KIVA STEPS” ON BACK OF CENTER PANEL

COMES GIFT BOXED

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SIGNATURE REQUIREMENT:

Anything with a high price tag, will have a mandatory signature confirmation requirement & will come insured (reflected in shipping price).. If you're not home in the day & need this shipped where it can be signed for,please change that in your "Ship To" section before I create the shipping label***I'm sorry if this may be an inconvenience, but I do not ship expensive pieces without one. This is for your safety & mine

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PLEASE READ BEFORE PURCHASING:

I do not consider myself a 'professional photographer" but I do try my hardest to give you photos that are 'realistic" in color. Please realize that all monitors are different, so the materials can look more vivid (or duller) from one computer to the next.

To give you close up photos,pictures tend to make the item look much more larger & everything is more magnified than in actuality. So to get an accurate idea of how big this is, please either check it out being worn to get a rough idea (see photos) or you can pull out a tape measure & compare to my given measurements above.

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