Santo Domingo Handmade Cripple Creek Turquoise Bead Necklace - Joe Reano Sr. (#02)
$4,500.00
Artist: Joe Reano Sr.
Southwest Jewelry
29" long
Our dear old Daddy (Grandpa Duke) discovered this necklace in a slightly different form. Let us explain: While touring the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, Dad met a lady from the east coast attempting to disperse her long held collection of southwest jewelry. It seems this woman had exquisite taste, so Duke struck a deal. Within that collection were three sets of matching Santa Domingo Jacla earrings. When we shared the find with Ray Lovato he claimed that Joe Reano Sr. was the only person who could have, would have created them and it would have occurred sometime in the 1960's. Since Jacla of this size rarely get put to use, we asked Ray to restring them into a long and luxurious strand that could be presented with style. And there you have it, the story of a recreation.
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Cripple Creek Turquoise
The Cripple Creek mine in Teller County, Colorado is the site for a number of small gold mining claims. Cripple Creek Turquoise was originally found primarily as a by-product of gold mining, as were many of the Colorado Turquoise mining claims. There are several Turquoise claims in the Cripple Creek district such as the Elkhorn Claim, the Florence Turquoise Mine, the O'Haver Claim, the Roanoke Shaft, and the Hidden Treasure Turquoise Mine. One of the groups still mining the Turquoise claims is the Bad Boys of Cripple Creek. The areas that the Bad Boys are mining yield some greenish Turquoise, and some light to dark blue Turquoise with brown matrix. On a rare occasion, Turquoise is found in Cripple Creek that has natural Gold Ore in it. It has become a little more common to see Turquoise Jewelry with Cripple Creek Turquoise these days due to the Bad Boys efforts.
About the artist:
Joe I. Reano was born on January 13, 1906. He died in February 1979 at 73 years of age. Joe's last known residence was at Santo Domingo Pueblo, Sandoval County, New Mexico. Joe and his wife Clara Lovato Reano had daughter's Vicky Reano Tortalita, Rose Reano, Celestino Reano, Angie Reano Owen and son's Frank, Joe I. Reano, Percy Reano & Avelino Reano. Joe Sr. was considered one of the best bead makers in the Santo Domingo Pueblo. He worked in a time when he had access to large amounts of high grade, natural turquoise. Because of this Joe Senior's necklaces are generally highly valued and collected. Joe's creations can be found in numerous Native American museums.
Related legends:
Precious Stones
Turquoise; Precious stones have symbolic implications. For example, turquoise if a "collective term for all the precious stones, wealth, or mixed offerings. Good fortune is attributed to this stone." Both white shell and turquoise are emphasized in Kinaalda? More about this legend