Heishi-Style Necklaces and Bracelets

The technique of making Heishi bracelets, necklaces, or anklets originated during the height of Native American culture more than 1,000 years ago. The region of present-day Santa Domingo and San Felipe Pueblo in New Mexico is cited as the birthplace of this technique. It is considered one of the oldest Native American jewelry-making techniques—possibly the oldest in North America.

The literal translation of the word "Heishi" in Native American language means "shell." Traditionally, this type of jewelry was made from polished pieces of mother-of-pearl shells from the Gulf of California. These were broken into small pieces, smoothed, and drilled in the center. As the technique evolved, square or rectangular fragments of shell began to be shaped into circular discs, which are still the most typical form of Heishi today.

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How are Heishi-style beads made?

The process of making Heishi beads is time-consuming, as are the steps needed to complete the final piece of jewelry. In ancient times, the creation started by drilling a hole into a shell using a cactus needle. This was a practical approach—if you shaped the shell first and it cracked during drilling, it would waste time and effort. Hand-shaping the beads was laborious as well, using a manually operated grinding wheel with a stone surface.

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• Essential steps in the production process that make the Heishi technique a luxury craft: Material selection: Shells, turquoise slices, or other soft minerals that can be easily chipped are carefully chosen. This step alone can take several hours of work.

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• Initial processing: The material must first be cut into strips of precise dimensions. Heishi-style jewelry is known for its accuracy and tightly packed forms. Once cut into strips, they are chipped into perfect squares using pliers. A small hole is then drilled exactly in the center of each square. This step reveals if the material is suitable, as poor-quality pieces tend to crack during drilling.

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• Further processing: These roughly prepared square pieces with holes are strung on wire and tightened. The grinding process begins. Imagine how time-consuming this used to be when grinding was done manually on a rotating stone wheel. The saddest part of grinding is that up to 70% of the square beads break and are discarded. If it were just seashells, the material loss wouldn’t be significant. But with rare turquoise—carefully shaped, sliced, chipped, drilled, and then destroyed during grinding—it becomes clear why Heishi bead jewelry has always been very expensive.

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• Unique variations of Heishi-style jewelry: Native Americans had an intuitive feel for design and color. They selected shells with varying shades to create beautiful decorative patterns from the square pieces.

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• Polishing: The final step before stringing the beads was gentle polishing with leather. This step alone often took several hours of meticulous work.

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Today, the process of making beads for Heishi-style jewelry is less demanding. Electric saws are used for cutting, high-speed micro-drills for precision drilling with minimal vibration, sanding belts of different grits for shaping, and leather belts for polishing. Still, Heishi remains a respected global technique that, in the new millennium, is enjoying a resurgence in the making of exotic, non-traditional jewelry. Fortunately, modern materials require less preparation, allowing artisans to focus more on creativity.

Which beads from our e-shop can you use for Heishi-style jewelry?

• Polymer clay beads
• Coconut shell beads
• Metal rondelle beads
• Mineral rondelle beads

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Today, Heishi-style bracelets and necklaces symbolize freedom and individuality. They are especially popular with surfers and are commonly seen from the Caribbean—like Haiti—to as far as Hawaii.

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Below are the most commonly used beads for making Heishi-style jewelry.