Unique piece - Pueblo handcraft

This superb and ancient necklace is an exceptional piece, emblematic of Native jewelry and recognizable by its long pendants. It is made of beautiful turquoise Heishi beads, Kingman turquoise and shell rondelles.

This type of pendant was once used as currency between different tribes in the Southwestern United States. So while the origin of the design is Pueblo, it is the Navajo who named these ornaments "Jacla", which in their dialect literally means "ear string".
 

Indeed, the Jacla necklace, worn mainly during ceremonies and other important moments in the life of the Native people, can serve two purposes: it adorns the neck by its length and its imposing shape, and its pendants can be detached from the necklace to be put on the ears.

The necklace here is made of turquoise Heishi beads at the ends, as well as beautiful turquoise nugget slices interspersed with shell slices and turquoise Heishi beads. The Jacla are strung with turquoise Heishi beads and turquoise corn beads (corn being an essential crop for the Native Americans), and are accented with tubular coral beads at the end.

The result is a unique piece of beauty and authentic craftsmanship, with a strong history of a hundred years of Native jewelry making.

The making of Heishi beads is long and meticulous: stones, shells or other raw materials are first cut, then drilled and strung on a wire, then the artist sands this strand on a grinding wheel to form the Heishi beads.

Length of the necklace: 28" of turquoise + 7.5" of cord at each end 

Length of the Jacla: 5" 3/4

Proudly handmade in the USA.