Atalaya Bracelet with Heishi beads

The Atalaya bracelet is made of Sterling silver, black jet, turquoise, and lapis heishi beads mixed with white bone, bamboo coral, and small Thai silver bead accents. Each design includes a beautiful Sterling silver lapis inlay button closure. Heishe or heishi (pronounced "hee shee") are tiny disc-or tube-shaped beads made of organic shells or ground and polished stones. They come from the Kewa Pueblo people (formerly Santo Domingo Pueblo) of New Mexico before these people find and use the metals for jewelry making. The literal meaning of heishi is "shell" and specifically refers to pieces of the shell that have been drilled and ground into beads and then strung into necklaces. These sterling silver heishi beads are modeled on the tradition that sets Peyote Bird Designs apart from other brands. The evidence of the strong influence from the American southwest with a contemporary take is evident to the keen eye. Handmade in New Mexico by local artists, it is available in two sizes, M (7.