Assorted Color Ghost Bead Necklace

“Ghost Beads" are worn as beautiful jewelry, but there is so much more to the story.
These beads have a deep history with our people. They were first used medicinally after the first Europeans came to the southwest.

You see, they brought new diseases with them that our people were not immune to. This is the first time that cedar/juniper berries are mentioned in our stories.

Our people would make them into tea. The legend says that this kept them healthy in the face of new diseases.

Cedar/juniper berries have different phases as they grow and eventually fall to the ground.

They aren't really noticeable until they cover the trees. They have a bluish-gray, dusted color.

If the berries are on a female tree, they completely cover the tree. In some cases, there are so many that they almost look like bushels of grapes.

Once these berries fall to the ground, they disappear... to most people. But not the creatures.

Squirrels, chipmunks, and other creatures we share this earth with take these berries and make a gift for us (the five-fingered beings).

Once the critters peel the outside fruit from the fallen berries, they reveal the beautiful shell inside.

The critters also hollow out the bead from one side. The artist then only has to put a hole in one side of the bead. The jewelry is essentially made by the five-fingered being and nature’s creatures.

The design on the exposed juniper berry is so intricate and beautiful that only nature could have designed it.

Once the squirrel or chipmunk discards the berry. It is peeled, hollowed out the shell, and left as the perfect bead.

Because of the close contact with nature, these beads are held in high regard and seen as much more valuable than beads that can be manufactured or purchased.

Their value is said to be in their ability to offer protection to the wearer and keep them safe from the evil that may be lurking in everyday life.

At this point, our Navajo people gather what was once a cedar/juniper berry and is now a "Ghost Bead".

Local Navajo artists like Navajo Elder, 85-year-old Rena Whitehorse gather these beads and string them in the traditional way to create the most beautiful jewelry.

Sometimes mixed with colorful glass beads or beautiful shells, these Ghost Beads are perfect for anyone.

Anyone who is looking for something directly from nature. Anyone who is looking for an authentic Navajo creation. Anyone who is looking for added protection as they make their journey through life.