THE ARTIST:

One would say Kewa Puebloan artist, "Warren Nieto" is an artist who stays true to his Puebloan roots & has followed in his centuries old Anasazi ancestry footsteps that date back to as far as 1500 BC.. There's not much he doesn't know that he can't tell you about & it's these roots of his that go into the jewelry he makes,with each being deeply connected to his Puebloan culture. Each piece will have a Puebloan story, a meaning & it's almost like he "paints the story" about life in the Pueblo into his work...He is one of the most humble artisans I know & am proud to bring you his work.
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THE NECKLACE:
Designed where all hand cut Melon Shell & turquoise dominate the design,this is a fabulously designed piece that has versatility in the ways it can be worn!

It's made with 8 strands of precisely cut peachy/yellow colored Melon shell heishi, that are cut to perfection & I base that on, if you run your hand down the strand, you'll feel no 'ridges'.. This validates the years & expertise Warren has when cutting & this is how you can tell a good lapidarist/heishi cutter. Dispersed throughout the strands, are cuts of Kingman turquoise & are what coordinate with these 2 funky & very abstract Butterflies you see at the top.
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THE ABSTRACT PUEBLOAN BUTTERFLIES:
With their wide presence, Warren creates these pieces of art, where the Butterfly is recreated in the way his artistic eyes see them.. Looking very much like "Puebloan Clowns" (Or "Sacred Clowns"),their wings are span far & wide & are made with triangular cuts of Kingman turquoise, Melon Shell,& are outlined in shimmery Mother of Pearl & black jet (Fossilized Coal ) that Warren hand cut & shaped himself..All the materials are then mosaic inlaid them atop of black jet. If you look at photo 22,23,24 you will see how they're 'tied' to the Melon shell.

If you feel confidant with removing them, they actually can be moved anywhere you like & replaced to another location of the necklace & or removed all together, so you can wear the heishi by itself & or the heishi with just the Jacla! Personally,they are what add to this necklace's beauty & I personally would wear them with the necklace. But,that's your call!
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THE REMOVEABLE 4" LONG TURQUOISE JACLA:
The Jacla is attributed to the Pueblo Natives & is what also makes this necklace as traditional, as traditional Puebloan jewelry gets! The jacla is made with Kingman turquoise & again,has an impressive evenness that are smooth to the touch as you run your hand down the length. The beads precisely graduate & go from as small as 4.5 mm & go as large as 10 mm round. 3 hand cut "Corn" lay at the center (per strand) & you can see Warren's hand work within these, which validate it's 'hand made' factor. There's about 6-3/4" of excess string (per side),so the ways this can be worn are:  to leave 'as is' or depending on how big your neck is, is to wear it as a choker. This also gives versatility to the necklace, since it can be worn with OR without the necklace. Again, your call!


This is a versatile Pueblo piece of art that deserves appreciation for not only it's beauty,but all the artistic & creative time that Warren poured his heart out, into making it..