Gerard & Mary Calabaza

Kewa Pueblo (Santo Domingo)

Gerald and Mary Loretta Calabaza are a husband-and-wife jewelry team from Santo Domingo Pueblo, also known as Kewa Pueblo, in New Mexico. Jewelry making has been part of both of their families for generations, and they each began learning the craft at a young age.

Mary was born to Raymond and Reyes Nieto in 1964 and began learning pottery and jewelry making from her parents when she was about 12 years old. Her mother taught her how to drill, grind, and slice stones by hand. Gerald learned to make heishi from his parents, Pula and Delphanita Calabaza, beginning around the age of 13.

Today, Gerald and Mary work together to create the heishi jewelry for which they have become known. Gerald cuts and prepares the materials, while Mary strings and finishes the pieces. Every stone and shell is individually cut, drilled, ground, and polished by hand before it becomes part of a finished strand. A single necklace can contain hundreds of these small handmade beads.

Their jewelry often brings together turquoise, shell, jet, coral, pipestone, serpentine, and other materials in colorful patterns. They are especially known for their multistrand heishi necklaces, but their work also includes earrings, bracelets, pendants, bolo ties, and inlay jewelry.

Gerald and Mary have received multiple awards at Indian Market shows for their heishi and inlay work. One of their inlay necklaces was also worn by the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and was said to be among her favorite necklaces.

The Calabazas have continued passing their knowledge on to their son, carrying the family’s jewelry-making tradition into another generation. Their work reflects both the time involved in traditional heishi making and the skill that comes from learning the craft within the family from an early age.

Jewelry