Charles and Clara Lovato Ombre Coral and 14K Necklace With Leekya Deyuse Fetish

This is one of those once in a lifetime pieces!

The small but significant necklace of natural ombre coral and 14 karat gold was painstakingly hand created, each exceptional little bead, hand rolled in the traditional manner and graduated in size by Charles & Clara Lovato from Kewa Pueblo, what we used to know as Santo Domingo. 

Charles Lovato, who lived from 1937-1988, was a painter as well as bead maker, it shows in this necklace by the sublime colors selected with the help of his wife, Clara, of course. 

The captivating banded serpentine fetish was hand carved by none other than Leekya Deyuse who lived from 1889-1966. 

While the fetish and beads look exceptional together, they were created separately and put together by the late Native American art dealer collector and scholar Martha Hopkins Struever, renowned for her elegance, sense of style, and design. 

So with this single rare necklace, you really have the touch of three important characters, who each in their own way, changed the face of Native American art.

The precious Leekya fetish was mounted to its 14 karat gold bale, which can slip on and off of Charles and Clara Lovato's beads. You can then wear the beads separately. You can also wear fetish separately perhaps with a simple gold chain. It's multiple exquisite looks from one single piece of jewelry. It makes perfect sense, though, because Marti Struever had only the finest in her private collection of jewelry. 

The necklace is lightweight and dainty, refined as can be, even with the more primitive fetish carving. Notice how there are three green beads interspersed Charles and Clara's necklace, which perfectly pick up the green from the serpentine fetish.

The necklace measures 19 1/4" open and the fetish measures 1 1/2" x 1". Unsigned.