Navajo Stone Turquoise and Heishi Necklace c. 1940-50, 29" Long (J8449)

83.1g, 29" long. Acquired from an old family collection in Florida. The owner inherited the collection from her mother, aunt, and grandmother, who were all collectors and admirers of Native American antiques. The grandmother grew up working on a ranch in New Mexico. She later took a job near Silver City, but contracted typhoid. At the time, there was not much for the doctors to do, so she was sent home. Her mother nursed her back to health, and she later married and had 2 children, proving the impossible to the doctors. In 1942, she was the County School Superintendent in Fort Sumner. In 1945, she was in charge of teacher certifications with the State of New Mexico Department of Education in Sante Fe. Most of the jewelry in this collection was purchased in northern New Mexico between 1955 and 1972 by the grandmother and the aunt while living in Santa Fe. The aunt was also a teacher, and many of the students were Native Americans. Both the grandmother and the aunt would purchase directly from the students, their parents, and local trading posts. The word "heishi" means "shell," although today it is often used to describe the cut style of beads that are small, flat, disc-shapes.