3-Strand Natural Salmon Coral Necklace
HK Item #N169

White Buffalo Collection

We recently purchased a large collection of vintage but unused Native American artifacts including jewelry, rugs and pottery. It was part of the estate of a Navajo woman who was a missionary that worked with Native Americans in Four Corners - the area of the American southwest where four states meet- New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado. As a single parent, she raised 5 daughters and a son while also providing food, shelter, and clothing to less fortunate people that needed assistance. Often she was thanked for her help by gifts of Native American items.

Most of the items in this collection are from the 1970s to the 1990s. We offer these items to you with great respect and with the information we received from the family plus our research.

We named the collection after one of the pieces in the group, a hand carved Navajo fetish necklace honoring the Sacred White Buffalo.

BUFFALO MEDICINE - The appearance of White Buffalo is a sign that prayers are being heard, that the sacred pipe and Spirit are being honored. White Buffalo signals a time of abundance, prosperity and thankfulness. Buffalo was the major source of sustenance for indigenous cultures of the plains, giving meat for food, hides for shelter and clothing, and Spirit Medicine. The Medicine of Buffalo is prayer, gratitude and praise for that which has been received. Buffalo Medicine is also knowing that abundance is present when all relations are honored as sacred, and when gratitude is expressed to every living part of creation, recognizing the sacredness of every walk of life.

Coral, Red Coral (also called Red Branch Coral)
Red Coral is the common name given to Corallium Rubrum and several related species of marine coral. Red coral is a collection of hundreds of tiny animals living together in a colonies that resemble small leafless bushes growing on dark, rocky seabottom. The coral skeleton is composed hard calcium carbonate, colored in shades of red from pale pink to deep red. It can be semi-translucent to opaque. It is naturally matte, but can be polished to a glassy shine. Red coral is frequently dyed to enhance color and it can also be impregnated with resins or epoxies to fill surface fissures and flaws.

Coral jewelry has been found in ancient Egyptian and prehistoric European burials. The Romans believed coral could protect children from harm, as well as cure bites from snakes and scorpions and diagnose diseases by changing colour.