Inv# MC10W1901

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

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 35.5” including 24” of ivory white clam shell heishi and 11.5” of Pueblo wrap neck loop. Weight: 416 grams.

Detailed Description.  Sadly, Kewa artisan Mary Coriz passed away in 2021. She was a renowned Pueblo artisan for creating her unique & superb white heishi clam 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 indeed is 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 to donate 100% of profit in honor of Mary Coriz.

Necklace total length is approximately 35.5”, with approximately 24” of Ivory-white clam shell heishi beads on each strand, ending with a traditional Pueblo-wrap neck loop of waxed carpet string.  Heishi beads are approximately 0.2” diameter, but vary in thickness from 0.02” to 0.2”. Each strand contains over 300 heishi beads, resulting in a total of over 3000 hand-strung heishi in the 10-strand necklace.   The heishi beads are hand-strung on waxed carpet string and the necklace 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. 

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:  35.5” [24” of 10-strand heishi + 11.5” ‘Pueblo-wrap’ neck loop]

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

• Clam shell heishi bead thickness:  varies from 0.02” to 0.2” thickness

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

• Weight: 416 grams—a very heavy necklace, so a smaller person may want to consider a lighter Mary Coriz necklace such as MC10W.1903.

Comments. Sadly, Kewa artisan Mary Coriz passed away in 2021. She was renowned as the Pueblo artisan producing 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 her famous necklaces, which became rare on the market even before her passing in 2021. In 2019, pre-Covid, we commissioned 5 of these necklaces from Mary & consider it a privilege that she created them for us in 2019. This necklace is now 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 to donate 100% of our profit in honor of Mary.

In creating her unique & beautiful 10 strand white clam shell necklaces, Mary used skills and knowledge passed down over 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, patience & dedication required to do that and hand-wrap the neck loop with a traditional ‘Pueblo-wrap’. Mary’s necklaces are one of Harriet’s favorite necklaces and make a dramatic appearance for both formal and informal occasions.

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. Native American artists rely on sale of their unique art to support their families. So by purchasing one of Mary’s beautiful original necklaces, you help support her family and also ensure preservation of the unique KEWA culture and artistic skills so they endure for many more generations.