Here's a quite unusual, handmade bracelet that we purchased from a well respected pawn trader in northern Arizona, adjacent to the Navajo Reservation. We generally make two trips each year to visit this trader because of his extensive knowledge of Native American jewelry and his unquestioned honesty.
This old beauty is one of most attractive, and most unusual, vintage pieces that we've purchased in quite a while. It features four turquoise stones and one piece of red coral (that are each set in silver bezels) and two very large silver leaves. There are also four silver flowers, in the center, that are set in a deep shadow box style.
The artist adorned the triple wire shank with applied silver bars that each have a silver twisted rope at the center.
The inside of the bracelet measures 5+1/4" long plus there is a gap of 1+1/8". It is 1+3/4" wide at the center and it weighs a very comfortable 68 grams.
The back of the bracelet has the artists hallmark which we have not been able to identify. And, due to State laws what regulate what information pawn traders can give out, we were unable to obtain the artist's name. However, we were told that it was made by a local Navajo artist, during the 1940's - 1950's.
As with most, older, Native American jewelry there is no stamp indicating the silver content.
Despite it's age and travels the bracelet is still in remarkably good condition. The stones are not chipped or cracked and they are set firmly in their bezels. The silver shows very minimal signs of wear.
This bracelet can use a bit of 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 collectors prefer to receive these older pieces "as is".
This beautiful bracelet will certainly make a terrific addition to your jewelry collection, or would be a fantastic gift for that special someone in your life.
