All that you need to know about Heishi Necklace!
The word “heishi” means ‘shell’ and refers to pieces of shell that have been drilled and ground into beads and then strung into a necklace. It is referred to mostly hand-made small beads that are built with any natural material.
The origin of ‘Heishi’ is indeed captivating and is inevitably connected to the prehistoric times of the making by, the Santo Domingo and San Felipe Pueblo Indians. It is not wrong if we say that they are the oldest form of jewelry in New Mexico, before the introduction of metals.
Talking about the strings of Heishi
In case you come across an exquisitely perfect piece, then you must know that it has been made by the hands of an extremely skilled craftsperson whose work is equivalent to the machine without any fault in it.
A living stone
All Native Americans believe that the earth is living and all things are precious. Turquoise is no exception, representing life, and is highly revered because of its color-changing properties. Factors such as the environment, light, dust, and skin acidity all play a role in how the stone appears to the eye. While most people picture it with a beautiful blueish-green hue, other variations exist such as white, light blue, yellowish-green, and copper color. All of these colors together represent the hues of the earth, which is one reason it remains so attractive to Native Americans.
What are the steps involved in creating a Heishi Necklace String?
It is highly important to know the steps involved in creating a Heishi Necklace to differentiate between the hand-made jewelry and the imitation one. The first step is to choose the raw materials. The most ordinarily raw materials that are used are the seashells which can be anyone — dark and light olive shells, spiny oysters, mother-of-pearl, melon shell. Coral and stones such as lapis, turquoise, jet, pipestone, and serpentine are also used to create attractive fashionable heishi necklaces. The craftsperson must pay anywhere from 4-grade lapis or uncut coral.
After which the process begins with fingers on either side of a whirring blade, the raw material is cut into strips. Then, small squares are made by cutting the pieces of the slice using a hand tool such as a nipper. Next, with the help of tweezers to grip the tiny squares and a dentist’s carbide bur, a small hole is drilled into the center of each square. After this, the uneven squares of shells are combined together and strung on a fine wire. After which the shaping, grinding, and smoothening of the rough shells are done.
Then the craftsperson shapes the uneven beads by moving the strings back and forth repetitively against a rotating wheel, by controlling the quality and the diameter of the beads with the hands. At this phase, many beads will fall off.
You should keep in mind that each type of material should be ground separately. Such as Turquoise, shells or lapis are harder materials and take much time to get grounded as compared to soft materials like jet and pipestone. To minimize the loss, each bead should be squeezed into an indefinite circle before being ground. By this time a string of cylinders is formed and is ready for the next process which is sanding.
The next process includes shaping and smoothing with fine grades of sandpaper. The strings are then washed with clear water and are kept to let dry under sunlight. Then strings of the Heishi are polished with extreme polish on a leather belt. After which they are ready to be strung together or with the other beads and creates a piece of perfect jewelry.
It might take 2 weeks to build a single strand of Heishi Necklace.
Why choose Turquoise ‘Heishi’ Necklace:
They are made with sterling silver cones and the finest materials. The strings are strong but also flexible beading wire with high-quality Heishi. If you love to choose a minimalist necklace, then Turquoise Heishi Necklace is what you should opt for. It can be worn even with gold.
While buying a good Heishi, buying it directly from artists will provide you with the most satisfaction. You might come across various questions related to the creation. So we recommend you to opt for New Mexico Gems who offers you the best quality materials of Heishi Necklaces. As a buyer, there should be many things you would like to investigate about the handmade work and New Mexico Gems provide you with all the answers to your questions.
