Pueblo Cross Necklace

Native American Double Bar Cross and Heart of The Dragon Fly Jewelry

The stunning Pueblo cross necklace is also known as the Isleta cross necklace and the Heart of the Dragon Fly. Timeless and beautiful, this jewellery is a Pueblo design that is associated with the Isleta Pueblo in New Mexico.

A Brief History of Isleta

The Isleta Pueblo is located in central New Mexico, on the east bank of the Rio Grande, south of Albuquerque. From about 1621 until the Pueblo revolt in 1680, it was the seat of the Franciscan mission of San Antonio de Isleta. In 1681, the Spaniards captured the Pueblo. Then, in the late 1700s, it became the mission of San Agustín de Isleta, and the Isleta people returned to Pueblo, many with Hopi spouses.

The tradition of the Pueblo Cross Necklace

Pueblo cross necklaces were mainly produced as gifts to brides before their marriage. The women would sell their earrings and cuffs if they had to. However, they couldn’t part with their necklaces, which made the necklace a rare and collectible item. Being hand-made, each Isleta cross necklace is unique, with variations amongst each of the crosses and beads, often a glass trade bead mix.

The Pueblo Double-Bar Cross Necklace design

The design of the double-bar cross necklace is said to have originated from the Moors and the Spaniards. The Pueblo Indians adopted the double bar cross as their own religious symbol, as to them, it represented the dragonfly. A cross with two crossbars can be seen to have the appearance of a dragonfly hovering in the air with outstretched wings. Light striking the silver is reflective and shiny, much like the sheen of a dragonfly’s wings. It is the heart at the bottom of the double bar cross that is known as the heart of the dragonfly.

The dragonfly was believed to be a healing and transformational creature. It was a symbol of spirituality and creativity that eliminated all negativity. It was known as the keeper of dreams – the energy within that saw all actual ability and potential. With the dragonfly, anything was possible.

This cross style was adopted by the Pueblo people mainly because of their symbolic beliefs rather than the Christian religion. There was a principal belief in native over imported religions. Merging the two beliefs into the Pueblo cross necklace was a way of accepting both faiths.