Hand-cut spiny oyster, turquoise, jet, and pearl — inlaid by Gerard and Mary Calabaza of Santo Domingo Pueblo. The way it has been done at Kewa for centuries.
This pair of earrings is the work of Gerard and Mary Calabaza, two of the most respected names in Santo Domingo Pueblo heishi and inlay jewelry. The stones are a full catalog of the Southwest's finest materials: jet, orange melon seashell, spiny oyster shell, pink mussel shell, Kingman Arizona turquoise, Nevada green turquoise, apple green serpentine, and apple coral. Their signature — two copper inlaid circles in each earring — is present here, the mark that identifies their work immediately among those who know it. Only one pair is available. These are more extraordinary in person than any photograph can suggest.
About this piece
The heishi and inlay traditions of Santo Domingo (Kewa) Pueblo are among the oldest and most distinguished in North American Indigenous jewelry. Hand-ground shell, stone, and other materials are cut with precision and set flush into backing in mosaic-like arrangements that balance color, texture, and form. Gerard and Mary Calabaza have elevated this tradition through work of exceptional material quality and technical precision. The copper circle signature is their calling card — unmistakable among collectors of Pueblo jewelry.
Materials & craftsmanship
Stones: Jet, orange melon seashell, spiny oyster shell, pink mussel shell, Kingman Arizona turquoise, Nevada green turquoise, apple green serpentine, apple coral
