Now in his mid-thirties, Chris Nieto is one of the finest beadmakers at Santo Domingo Pueblo and has no peer in the realm of mosaic inlay work. His work can be found at the Wheelwright Museum in Santa Fe, he exhibits at the widely renowned art shows at the Heard Museum in Phoenix and is a well-respected citizen of Santo Domingo Pueblo where he is very active in religious and ceremonial affairs. He is a kind and generous man who has become a close friend through our years of working together. His wife, Luwanna, often aids him by stringing his necklaces.

This gorgeous necklace combines an exquisitely inlaid large-bale pendant with a six-strand fine heishi necklace of handmade beads. The color combination is striking in its forceful and dramatic use of blue, red and black. In terms of patterning, Chris shows how the signature banded stripe patterns common to Santo Domingo Pueblo necklaces can be married with visually complex geometric motifs he used in the mosaic pendant and bale. The inlay work clearly illustrates his painstaking expertise in creating wearable, three-dimensional structural sculptures. The mosaic tiles are inlaid on a foundation of serpentine.

The six-strand fine heishi necklace can be removed from the bale and pendant to be worn alone, or with another pendant. In referring to this as fine heishi, it is a reference to the diameter of the beads. The strands consist of uniform-diameter beads of 5/32" made from stabilized Kingman turquoise, apple coral and jet. The beads are strung on finely braided steel wire which is covered by a polyurethane sleeve. The strand is finished with Sterling cones and larger apple coral and jet beads at the catch.

Incised signature on back of pendant is "CTN" for Christopher Thomas Nieto and "SDP" for Santo Domingo Pueblo.

Heishi materials: stabilized Kingman turquoise, apple coral & jet

Mosaic inlay materials: stabilized Kingman turquoise, apple coral, jet, abalone, green serpentine & white clam shell

Dimensions of pendant (excluding bale): 3" x 1 3/4"; 5/16" thick

Dimensions of bale: 1" diameter; 7/8" wide; 5/8" diameter opening

Total hang of pendant (from top of bale to bottom edge): 4 1/4"

Length: 19 1/2" + 2" Chain + Pendant