Here's an amazing, turquoise & silver bracelet that we purchased from a well respected pawn trader in northern Arizona, adjacent to the Navajo reservation.
The bracelet features a very large turquoise stone (which is set in a handmade saw tooth bezel) and several applied silver decorations including large fans, raindrop beads and twisted ropes.
The turquoise stone was finished with a very unusual "wave" type surface, and it has some brown & gold matrix.
The inside of the bracelet measures 5+5/8" plus there is a gap of 1+1/4". It weighs 106 grams and is 2+3/4" wide at it's widest point.
Due to State laws that regulate what information pawn traders are allowed to give out we were unable to obtain the name of the artist that made the bracelet. However there is an artist's hallmark (BB) on the back. We were told that it was made by a local Navajo artist, probably in the 1970's - 1980's. As with most older Native American jewelry there is no mark indicating the silver content.
Despite it's age and travels it is in remarkably good condition. There are no visible signs of wear. The stone has no cracks or chips and it is set firmly in it's bezel. The bracelet can use some cleaning but we'll leave that for it's next owner. Our policy is that we do not clean dead pawn or vintage jewelry as most of our customers prefer to receive their older pieces in "as is" condition.
