Bracelets

This sterling silver baby bracelet was made by Navajo jeweler, Elton Cadman.  There are three turquoise stones that have twisted wire around the bezel.  What a sweet and memorable gift for baby!  We figure it would fit up to a year old child.

Size: 4" with .5" opening

Navajo jeweler, Elton Cadman, made this delicate sterling silver bracelet that, depending on the size of the little one's wrist, will fit a baby or toddler.  He sent a sparkling opal in the center of the simple setting.  The silver is flexible, and can be manipulated to fit the wrist. 

Award-winning Yaqui jeweler Michael Horse set high-grade Bamboo Mountain turquoise in a sawtooth bezel on this heavy gauge sterling silver bracelet. The Bamboo Mountain mine is in Asia and he couldn't resist the beauty of this stone which is dark teal with shades of gray matrix. Around the stone on each side are repousse sunrays with silver domes on a triple shank bracelet. Michael inscribed his name on the back. 

Size: 5.25" Long with 1" Opening - Stone setting 1.25" H x .875" W

Michael Horse is an award-winning Yaqui jeweler who uses high quality stones in his work including natural high-grade turquoise, coral, lapis and more.  He is most well-known for the intricate katsinas he fabricates in his studio, and he is a master tufa carver.  He is also an award-winning ledger painter and actor with many roles in television and film.  Many people recognize him from his role as Deputy Hawk in the ground breaking Twin Peaks television series.

Navajo jeweler Thomas Charley made this stunning sterling silver bracelet.  It has five sets of shiny silver domes with narrow spacers between each set.  Twisted wire is on each side with the band creating a border.  Stamped TC inside.

Size: 5.25" L x 1.25" W

Navajo jeweler Thomas Charley made this stunning sterling silver bracelet.  It has six sets of shiny silver domes with narrow spacers between each set.  Twisted wire is on each side with the band creating a border.  Stamped TC inside.

Size: 5.25" L x 1.25" W

Kewa Pueblo jeweler and bead maker Deanna Calabaza hand-rolled turquoise and jet to create this bracelet. The color of the turquoise is olive green and not blue. The beads end with a sterling silver lobster clasp.

Size: 8" Long

This vintage A+ grade, sterling silver Navajo handmade Blue Gem turquoise bracelet is definitely a keeper! Three gorgeous stones set on a braided silver wire and have sterling silver domes between them. The heavy gauge silver of the bracelet is stamped with traditional Navajo designs and end in a bar aross them all for comfort. The patina on the silver only comes with age. This bracelet was in the personal collection of the owner who had it since the 1990s, but it is much older than that. More about Blue Gem turquoise below.

Size: 5.25" Long with 1.125" Opening

About Blue Gem turquoise from our friends at Sunwest Silver: The Blue Gem mine, which is no longer active, produced almost every shade of green and blue turquoise imaginable. The Blue Gem mine site is located near Battle Mountain. It produced a great variety of turquoise, from intense blue to deep green combinations with a hard, irregularly distributed matrix. The Battle Mountain or Blue Gem mine, which began production in 1934 yielded the most valuable Blue Gem turquoise because of its rich color and hardness.

Of the several Nevada mines that are named Blue Gem, this is the largest and most famous. Blue Gem turquoise tends to form in very thin slab forms rather than nugget, although the largest nugget ever found weighed 178 pounds. This mine was one of the deepest with lots of underground tunnels. Blue Gem closed in the 70’s and there does not seem to be much available today.

Charissa Alain-Lilly is a non-Indigenous artisan who lives in Northern Canada and is a craftsperson, writer, and jeweler who makes creative jewelry from porcupine quills.  This bracelet is made from quills and safety pins. It is on thick elastic and will fit most adult wrists. It is so cool! You can see more of her work here.

Size: Adjustable - 1.675" Wide

The colors in this vintage sterling silver Navajo cluster bracelet are gorgeous! The center stone is red spiny oyster shell. The bright blue stones are not natural turquoise, but are block turquoise which may or may not have any real natural turquoise in it, thus the very affordable price (similar bracelets with natural turquoise start around $600). The silver work is exquisite with the back oxidized black to highlight the stones, twisted silver around the center medallion, and silver ball around the edges. It has the patina that only comes with age. Stamped LMR, Navajo, USA and Sterling on the back.

Size: 5.5" Long with 1" Opening

Navajo jeweler Elaine Tahe twisted heavy gauge silver and brass to create this cuff bracelet.  Definitely substantial and feels good on the wrist.

Size: 5.125" Long with 1.125" Opening

The Blue Diamond turquoise mine has been closed for quite a while in Nevada which makes this bracelet rare. It is Navajo handmade with heavy gage sterling silver in a traditional style.  It has it all, weight, beauty, and fine craftsmanship. This bracelet was part of a large collection of vintage Native American jewelry.  We believe it was made in the 1960s or earlier.

Size: 5" Long with 1.5" Opening - 1.5" H x 1.125" W

This vintage Navajo sandcast bracelet has a substantial amount of sterling silver and a beautiful natural Fox turquoise stone. The hallmark on the back has the initials FJ. We believe this bracelet was made in the 1960s.

Size: 5" Long with 1.75" Opening and 1.675" Wide

This vintage sterling silver Navajo sandcast bracelet has butterfly wings extending from the old Natural Kingman turquoise. As natural turquoise ages it often turns a darker color. This stones is not loose, but it does have a crack that is about three quarters of the way to the top, thus the reduced price. This bracelet was part of a vintage collection that we purchased several years ago.

Size: 5" Long with 1.325" Opening - Wings 1.5" High - Stone setting 1.125" H x .75" W

Five natural red coral butterlies will flutter around the wrist of the lucky person wearing this sterling silver channel inlay bracelet made by Zuni Jeweler Sylvan Noche.  It is signed on the back of two of the butterflies.  A lobster clasp is attached to 1.25" of chain on each side.

Size: 8" Long - Butterlies .5" Diameter

This bracelet was part of a collection of vintage and older Native American jewelry. It has not been cleaned or polished.  The stones look like natural, aged Sleeping Beauty turquoise with each one set into a shadowbox.  There are no stamps or initials on the back. More about tufa cast jewelry below.

Size: 5" not including 1.5" opening - .75" W

Tufa is a volcanic stone which can be as dense as chalk and has an organic texture. The first thing a jeweler does is examine a piece of tufa for any tiny fractures.  If it looks good, the tufa is cut in half and if there is a design, it is carved into the tufa in reverse to how the piece will come out.   There is a pour hole carved into the top and several narrow vents carved into each side.  The two pieces are then bound together tightly and molten silver or gold is poured through the hole at the top.  If there are any microscopic cracks, the tufa explodes when the metal is poured in and the process has to begin again.  This process usually makes one piece of jewelry, but sometimes the mold is good enough for more than one piece. 

Kewa Pueblo jeweler, Delbert Crespin, hand-rolled melon shell and turquoise to make this bracelet.  The beads end with a sterling silver lobster claw clasp.

Size: 7.5"

Hand-rolled beads are made by chipping out pieces of stone or shell.  A hole is drilled into the center of each chip.  The chips are strung on a wire and rolled, and rolled, and rolled until they are all the same width.  Sometimes they are graduated – a difficult task!  They are then polished until smooth.  There are hand-rolled necklaces from Kewa Pueblo that are over a thousand years old.  In the “old days”, the holes were drilled with a hand-pump drill, strung on handmade string, and rolled on sandstone.   There is nothing quite like hand-rolled Kewa beads!

Many of the Pueblos in New Mexico took on Spanish names after colonization and are now taking back their original names.  Kewa Pueblo is the traditional name of the place and the people.  It was known as Santo Domingo Pueblo for many, many years.

Kewa Pueblo jeweler, Delbert Crespin, hand-rolled clam shell and turquoise to make this bracelet.  The beads end with a sterling silver lobster claw clasp.

Size: 7"

Hand-rolled beads are made by chipping out pieces of stone or shell.  A hole is drilled into the center of each chip.  The chips are strung on a wire and rolled, and rolled, and rolled until they are all the same width.  Sometimes they are graduated – a difficult task!  They are then polished until smooth.  There are hand-rolled necklaces from Kewa Pueblo that are over a thousand years old.  In the “old days”, the holes were drilled with a hand-pump drill, strung on handmade string, and rolled on sandstone.   There is nothing quite like hand-rolled Kewa beads!

Many of the Pueblos in New Mexico took on Spanish names after colonization and are now taking back their original names.  Kewa Pueblo is the traditional name of the place and the people.  It was known as Santo Domingo Pueblo for many, many years.

 This bracelet has the colors of fire beaded in a pale blue background.  The center row has beads of fire colors in white, yellow, and orange.  On each side are flame shapes of white, yellow, orange, red, and black beads. The beads were attached to leather which is attached to a flexible bracelet.

Size: 5.5" long with 1.75" opening - 2.125" W

What a wonderful way to celebrate baby while adding an heirloom to the family!  Turquoise, black, red, orange, and white beads were woven together by a Navajo artisan to create this bracelet with an eagle feather on each side.  The band is flexible to easily go on baby's wrist.  Native American people use eagle feathers to send our prayers to the Creator.

Size: 4.5" L with 1.125 - opening .325" W

The Pilot Mountain turquoise in this sterling silver bracelet includes small bits of pyrite. It is a beautiful dark teal color that was impossible to capture in the photos.  Handmade by Navajo jeweler Shirley Henry, it has a large stone in the center with eight smaller stones around the outside.  The smaller stones have a repousse star in between each one.  On each side of the stones are hand-stamped leaves.  The cuff is tufa cast. Stamped "SH" and "STERLING" inside. More about the process of tufa cast jewelry making below.

Size: 5.25" Long with 1" Opening

Tufa Jewelry: Tufa is a volcanic stone which can be as dense as chalk which has an organic texture. The first thing a jeweler does is examine a piece of tufa for any tiny fractures.  If it looks good, the tufa is cut in half and, if there is a design, it is carved into the tufa.   There is a pour hole carved into the top and several narrow vents carved into each side.  The two pieces are then bound tightly together and molten silver or gold is poured through the hole at the top.  If there are any microscopic cracks, the tufa explodes when the metal is poured in and the process has to begin again. Most of the time only one piece of jewelry can be made from each piece of tufa.

Five polished Kingman turquoise stones are set in sterling silver.  The silver behind the stones has been oxidized black to set off the stones and the silver domes between each stone.  Twisted silver wire borders the silver above and below with hand stamped and smooth cuts gracing the border above and below.  "K" with three interlocking circles and "Sterling" are stamped inside.

Size: 5.875" with 1.375" Opening x 1.5" Wide

Harrison Bitsue is a master at creating tufa cast jewelry, more about the jewelry making method of tufa cast below.  This bracelet has natural turquoise with golden matrix set it in the center.  The sterling silver above and below the turquoise resemble feathers with stamp-work.  The oxidized satin finish gives it a vintage appearance. 

Size: 4.75" L with 1" Opening - Center 1.25" H, narrows to .5" at the ends

Tufa is a volcanic stone which can be as dense as chalk and has an organic texture. The first thing a jeweler does is examine a piece of tufa for any tiny fractures.  If it looks good, the tufa is cut in half and if there is a design, it is carved into the tufa in reverse to how the piece will come out.   There is a pour hole carved into the top and several narrow vents carved into each side.  The two pieces are then bound together tightly and molten silver or gold is poured through the hole at the top.  If there are any microscopic cracks, the tufa explodes when the metal is poured in and the process has to begin again.  This process usually makes one piece of jewelry, but sometimes the mold is good enough for more than one piece. 

Navajo jeweler, Elton Cadman, made this sweet sterling silver baby bracelet.  It has a bright blue turquoise stone set in the simple setting.  A nice, memorable gift for baby!

Size: 3.25" with 1.25" opening

Navajo jeweler, Judy Lincoln, made this delicate sterling silver bracelet that, depending on the size of the little one's wrist, will fit a baby or toddler.  There are two spirals, one on each side of the turquoise.  The silver is flexible, and can be manipulated to fit the wrist.  However, it will break after repeated times being bent, so the best bet is to fit it on the write so that is can go and off easily and not bend it again until it becomes to small.

Size: 3.5" with 1.125" opening