This is an absolutely stunning piece of wearable art by the late master of Kewa (formerly Santo Domingo) Pueblo, Benito Garcia.

I acquired this several years back from his daughter, herself an extremely accomplished jeweler and potter, Trinidad Garcia. This necklace is comprised of gorgeous, raw chunks of Serpentine (olive green) Turquoise (substantial natural nuggets of a quality rarely seen nowadays), Jet (black), and Abalone shell strung onto a base of exceptionally fine hand formed, polished and individually drilled shell heishi. You can see Benitos trademarks in the tiny turquoise and jet heishi stripes set into the upper part of the necklace, and in the hanging turquoise nugget tied at the end. There are 8 total turquoise nuggets worked into this necklace.

This is a traditionally strung necklace on twisted, waxed cord (very sturdy— will never break) that ties, rather than being closed with a clasp. The tie allows for a bit of adjustment in the length, from around 15” to around 16.5” depending on where it is knotted. The length of the necklace when laid flat is around 39” from end to end.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to own a piece that is unlike any other on the market; a true heirloom necklace.