4-Strand Turquoise and Coral Necklace
with Olive Shell Heishi and Sterling Silver beads
HK Item #N245

33" total inside circumference.

Olive Shell Heishi in between and to finish off ends.

Sterling silver melon beads and clasp.

More Heishi Necklaces

The Old Stone Collection is a group of high quality items that an avid Native American jewelry aficionado gathered throughout her life. When the jewelry passed on to her daughter, she contacted us. Watch for many fine items coming over the next months.

What is heishi?

Heishi means shell and in the past, referred to pieces of shell that have been drilled and hand rolled or ground into bead shapes and strung as necklaces. With the reduced availability of some shell materials, modern Native American artists also use handmade beads of other materials including turquoise and lapis lazuli and other stones when making heishi necklaces. Read more about heishi here: All About Heishi.

TURQUOISE is associated with the sky, and bringing sky energy to earth. It is known as a master healer stone as it is believed to help speed the healing process. It is also thought that turquoise can help promote honest and clear communication from the heart.
Turquoise comes in all shades of blue, to blue-green and it is the natural variations in turquoise that make it appealing. The color of turquoise in American Indian jewelry ranges from brownish green to bright blue. Found in veins sandwiched in between layers of mother rock, turquoise can show some of the influence of the mother rock in its matrix or veining. The matrix colors range from blue to golden brown to black and sometimes with golden flecks. Many people prefer turquoise with matrix over clear stones. Read more about turquoise.

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. Read more about stones.