This colorful vintage triple-strand necklace is made in the classic jacla style. Crafted primarily of turquoise and heishi, accented by red coral and shell, with a pair of coordinating turquoise jaclas, tipped in shell accents hanging from a coral joining.
Jacla is the Navajo word for “ear string”; although the style is attributed to the Rio Grande Pueblo Indians, they were commonly traded among tribes and have been seen in vintage photos being worn by both men and women of many southwestern tribes. In the original style, the bottom loops of a jacla were a pair of “earrings” that are tied to the necklace; before ears were pierced and earrings were worn in the lobes, they were fashioned into long loops that were worn over the entire ear.
This vintage jacla necklace features three strands of heishi beads interspersed with turquoise slabs, accompanied by a pair of matching turquoise and shell jacla hoops anchored by red coral.