Nestoria Coriz Sterling Silver, Turquoise, and Orange Spiny Oyster Necklace with Pendant
Amazing hand made necklace and pendant from Native American artist Nestoria Coriz. The disc shaped beads are turquoise and orange spiny oyster and the silver pieces are hand stamped. The necklace itself if 30” long and the circular beads are 8 mm near the clasp and 18 mm at the center. The pendant is 2.75” tall and 2.25” wide at the base, 1” wide at the top. With the bail, the pendant is 3.75 tall. This is a substantial piece from a substantial artist.
Among the few top Kewa necklace makers stands Nestoria Coriz. Her traditional-contemporary designs and styling incorporate handmade silver, distinctive drop pendants into unique art forms.
Coriz began learning all facets of heishi, bead and stone work from her paternal grandparents, Santiago and Trinidad Pena, at the age of six years. Her first tasks were to buff stones on buckskin floor rugs. At that time, there was little if any electrical power at the Santo Domingo Pueblo and so all jewelry work was created by hand.
As a teenager in the early 1960’s Coriz learned to make silver jewelry when she began working at Turpenos in Albuquerque along side her father, Lupe Pena. She is self-taught in all aspects of the design and construction of her necklaces and jewelry. Coriz uses the highest grade of stones and shells. She uses all types of turquoise in her designs, as well as all shades of spiny oyster, clam, gaspeite, Acoma jet, various corals, lapis and abalone. She makes all of her own sterling silver findings (cones, hooks and eyes) as well as the silver disks, barrels, and beads used in her pieces.
