NECKLACE PROVENANCE:

This necklace came through my store by a Los Alamos, NM. based resident who I found through conversation, had some phenomenal parents‍ ‍& who happened to bring in what was left from her mother’s collection who happened to own the pieces I purchased. To give you a little of their background so you can get an idea of who they were, please read:

Her father ‘RALPH PARDINGTON’ was the Head of the Three Dimensional Art Department at the Institute of American Indian Arts (I.A.I.A.) in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In addition to teaching Ceramics at I.A.I.A., he supervised instruction in Jewelry, Ceramics, Native Crafts, Sculpture, Weaving, and Foundry Sculpture. He retired after 28 years.

Her mother, ‘JOYCE PARDINGTON” was a devoted stay-at-home mom who—without reducing her to that single role—was also a remarkable artisan. She specialized in “Fiber Art”, creating pieces of such quality and resonance, that some were hung in the World Trade Center. Tragically, those works were destroyed on that horrific day, a profound loss both personally and culturally.

Like her husband, Joyce was also very much connected in our thriving Native American art scene here in Santa Fe, where she purchased & wore some of the best. With Joyce now slowing down, this is a necklace I was told that she loved, but no longer wore it.

THE NECKLACE:

Making a perfect strand of hand-cut beads takes skill and is a time-consuming process. To judge an artist’s skill, you should be able to run your fingers along the strand and feel that it is smooth, without any bumps or ridges. That tactile evenness is a clear sign of a skilled, precise cutter, and this necklace is made in the way I’m describing.

This traditional Puebloan made necklace is one of the oldest forms of Pueblo jewelry & is as traditional as it gets! It will look as good on a man, as it will a woman!

Totally made by hand, the process begins with selecting a solid piece of Kingman turquoise, which is then carefully hand cut into small squares before being gently rounded into smooth, round disk beads. Each disk is individually hand-drilled with precision. The necklace is beautifully and perfectly graduated, showcasing vibrant blue Kingman turquoise that moves from a larger 14 mm bead at the center to a small 3 mm bead at the closure. While the overall width progression is expertly graduated, the handmade factor is validated by the subtle variations of each disk’s height—some disks are thinner, while others are slightly thicker—adding character and authenticity to the piece.(See photos, but especially photo 6)

Wear it as is, but would also work is if you have a pendant with a large enough bale that would fit through the largest bead..(14 mm) However to use it with a pendant, the bale has to be bigger than 14 mm (About 5/8” opening) since you want the necklace to be able to ‘move & breathe’ on the strand.

Kewa Pueblo jewelry is the only time I accept carrying stabilized or treated turquoise. There is a lot of waste when Puebloan artists go to cut & they need the 'hardness' in order to cut, so it has to be stabilized.. With all the waste that takes place from cutting, it also would be EXTREMELY expensive to use natural, untreated turquoise!!

********************

FOR YOUR INFORMATION:

Many people call this type of necklace a "Heishi' necklace, when it is not.. To the Puebloan people, the ONLY time it's a 'heishi' necklace is when it's made of Shell (Shell is what the word "heishi' means) Anything other than shell are called "Beads". So this type of necklace to the Kewa Village artisans is considered a "Turquoise Beaded Necklace" & NOT a heishi necklace.. Yes they are very similar in look,but to the Kewa people, they mean 2 separate things**

********************

MADE BY: Unknown

CIRCA: Purchased in Santa Fe in the 1980’S

TRIBE: Kewa Pueblo Village -Santo Domingo Pueblo

MATERIAL: Kingman Turquoise

LENGTH: 28"

WEIGHT: 95.4 Grams (3.36 Ounces)

METAL: Sterling Silver Cone & Hook & Eye Closure

METAL FINISH: Lightly patinated from time.

BEAD SIZE: From as small as a 3 mm & graduate to a larger 14 mm roundness (25.5 mm= 1")

Come Gift Boxed

*****************
SIGNATURE REQUIREMENT:
Anything with this kind of price tag, will have a mandatory signature confirmation requirement. If you're not home in the day & need it 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.

PLEASE READ BEFORE PURCHASING:

I do not consider myself a 'professional photographer" but I do try to give you photos that are 'realistic" in color. Please understand also that each monitor varies and also plays an important role in how vibrant or less vibrant as something appears.*****

Close up photos tend to make the item look GIGANTIC & 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 (photos) or you can pull out a tape measure & compare to my given measurements listed above.