Description.  Sadly, Kewa artisan Mary Coriz passed away in 2021. She was renowned for her superb white heishi shell, 10-strand necklaces like this one, with the traditional “Pueblo-wrap” neck loop. In recent years, Mary produced only a limited number of these famous necklaces, which became rare on the market even before her passing in 2021. In 2019, pre-Covid, we custom ordered 5 of these necklaces from Mary & consider it a privilege that she created them for us in 2019. This necklace is 1 of those. It has never been sold or worn by anyone prior to this, so it is indeed a rare and beautiful Mary Coriz “original”. With deep respect for Mary, her family & the Kewa people, we offer this beautiful, rare Mary Coriz necklace.

It’s total length is 36.5”., with approx. 12.5” long Pueblo-wrap neck loop, with approximately 24” of Ivory-white clam shell heishi beads on each strand.  Heishi beads are approximately 0.17—0.2” diameter, but vary in thickness from 0.02” to 0.18”.  Each strand contains over 300 heishi beads, resulting in a total of over 3000 hand-strung heishi on the 10 strands!  Heishi beads are hand-strung on waxed carpet string and neck loop is hand-finished with a traditional ‘Pueblo-wrap’ of waxed carpet string approximately 0.2” diameter.  Clam shell heishi beads are generally circular, with minor shape and thickness imperfections due to natural shell characteristics and effects of heishi shell cutting, polishing and hole-drilling. 

Materials:  10-strand Ivory white clam shell heishi; ‘Pueblo-wrap’ neck loop of hand-wrapped waxed carpet string

Detailed Dimensions.  [Measurements are approximate, using a micrometer; there are minor variations inherent in hand-made jewelry and consistent with variations in natural materials.]

• Total end-to-end length:  36.5” including 24” 10-strand heishi  & 12.5” ‘Pueblo-wrap’ neck loop

• Clam shell heishi bead diameter:  approx. 0.17 > 0.2” with minor variation

• Clam shell heishi bead thickness:  varies from 0.02” to 0.18” thickness

• Neck loop waxed string wrap diameter:  approx. 0.2”

Weight:  289 grams. Due to its lighter weight, this specific 10-strand necklace will not feel as heavy on-the-neck for smaller individuals.

Authenticity Guarantee:  10-strand ivory white clam shell heishi necklace hand-strung & hand-wrapped with traditional ‘Pueblo-wrap’ style neck loop, by Kewa Native American necklace artist, Mary Coriz in 2019 Total length: 36.5“. Weight: 289 grams.

Comments:  Mary used skills and knowledge passed down over hundreds and thousands of years by her Kewa ancestors. The skill and knowledge for finishing a necklace with the traditional ‘Pueblo-wrap’ neck loop is disappearing, and Mary was one of its skilled artisans. Our appreciation for Mary’s necklaces increases even more when we consider that she hand-strung over 300 tiny heishi beads on each of the 10 strands for a total of over 3000 heishi beads in the necklace.  Think about the time and patience required to do that and hand-wrap the neck loop with a traditional ‘Pueblo-wrap’.  This necklace makes a dramatic appearance for both formal and informal occasions, and are one of Harriet’s favorite necklaces.

The jewelry market is now flooded with fake “American Indian” jewelry that in fact originates in foreign countries and is either hand-made in ‘sweat shops’ or mass-produced by machines in factories. By purchasing a beautiful Kewa original necklace like this, you help ensure preservation of the unique KEWA culture and artistic skills so they endure for many more generations.