heishe , auch: heishi

Necklaces of heishe beads, or shell ground into flat discs, have been discovered in ancient ruins.

A single heishe is a rolled bead of shell, turquoise, or coral, which is cut very thin.

The word "heishe" comes from the Santo Domingo word for "shell."

Today, Zuni bird fetishes are often set with heishe beads in multi-strand necklaces.

Tiny, thin heishe was strung together by the Santo Domingo to create necklaces, which were important trade items.

Shells used for heishe included mother-of-pearl, spiny oyster, abalone, coral, conch and clam.

It may be adorned with a heishe necklace, feathers, etchings representing ancient petroglyphs, or an etched or inlaid heartline.

A thinner wire will give an appealing drape to lightweight beads such as gemstone heishe, liquid gold, or liquid silver and bugle or seed beads.

The oldest specimens of Heishe date back to around 6000 BCE, although the same technique was used in northern Africa 30,000 years ago, using ostrich eggshell.

Besides being made from various stones and other materials (each material has unique properties), the contemporary fetish may carry an offering of a smaller animal or a prayer bundle of carved arrowheads with small beads of heishe.

Santo Domingo Pueblo, located on the Rio Grande is particularly known for heishe necklaces, as well as a style of necklace consisting of tear-shaped, flat "tabs" strung on heishe shell or turquoise beads.