Coral was introduced to the Southwest by the Spanish, who brought beads made from the material to the area as trade items. The Pueblo Indians began using the coral beads and, later, branch coral pieces to complement their turquoise heishi necklaces.
Coral was always expensive to trade for and purchase in jewelry supply stores in the Southwest, but it has maintained its popularity. It is now considered part of traditional Pueblo jewelry. In the late 1800s, the material became available to Zuni silversmiths as they established a silver jewelry culture. Still, it was not common until the late 1930s when traders started to buy and supply artists with coral to use in their inlay work.
A couple of decades later, Navajo artists began using larger cabs of coral in their silver jewelry.
Heishi refers to the style of small beads made by drilling a hole in the material (turquoise, shell, jet, coral, etc.) and then stringing the pieces on a wire before grinding them down to form small round beads. Most turquoise heishi made today uses stabilized stones to prevent them from cracking and breaking during the process. This is not the case with coral.
Coral is a living marine animal that secretes calcium carbonate to create a hard shell. This shell is used in jewelry making and is harder than turquoise.
Many artists prefer to drill the small pieces of coral without grinding them into beads. These are often interspersed with pieces of turquoise, jet, shell, or other materials to make attractive necklaces. Coral has always been, and still is, expensive. Wearing a coral necklace was considered a mark of prestige. They are rarer than turquoise necklaces, so maybe that is still true!
There are many different types of coral, but the primary one used in Southwest Indian jewelry is branch coral from the Mediterranean. The larger the color, the more expensive it is.
A couple of other thoughts. Years ago, coral was mined by dredging the ocean floor. That is not the case today. I have had many people tell me that it is illegal, and that is not true. While coral is endangered in parts of the world, Italians understand the necessity of careful harvesting. It is an essential part of their worldwide jewelry economy. On a trip to Italy, I was in several shops with more coral in their vaults than ever used in Native American jewelry. And it was expensive!
People have asked why I generally refer to Santo Domingo Pueblo rather than to "Kewa." This traditional name has been designated as the village's official name. It is not a matter of disrespect.
One day, when I was trying to make the switchover, I used "Kewa" in a talk to a group of people in Santa Fe. Jennifer Medina, an old friend and wonderful jeweler from the Pueblo, came up after the talk and said, "Jackson, it's ok to call the Pueblo "Kewa," but the jewelry should be referred to as "Santo Domingo." The reason is that when the tribal council decided to revert to the original Native name for the Pueblo, jewelers (there are many in the village) asked that the name for the jewelry remain the same, saying that it would be confusing for buyers.
We have some wonderful necklaces, most at least 30 years old, that belong in your collection!
