This wonderful Native American hand made turquoise and silver bracelet was recently obtained from one of our favorite pawn shops in Gallup, New Mexico. The bracelet has seven square-cut turquoise stones. The stones are all in excellent condition, with no cracked or loose stones, set in serrated bezels. The turquoise is most likely Kingman or Sleeping Beauty turquoise. This bracelet has a more contemporary feel to it, though it was probably made years ago. The exact age of the bracelet is unknown. It was made by Navajo silversmith, Benny Touchine. It is a beautiful example of Navajo jewelry executed by a well known and collectable artist.
The bracelet measures 1-1/8 inch wide. The inside end-to-end measurement is 5-5/8 inches plus there is a 1-5/16 inch gap. It weighs 64 grams. Suitable for a medium wrist. Excellent condition!
Pawn is simply jewelry that was taken in a transaction where cash money was given as a loan. The piece of jewelry taken in pawn is kept for over a year and if the customer has not come back to pay their cash loan, the pawn shop puts it out for sale, what is called dead pawn. Pawn jewelry can represent pieces that are both old and new. If you want to make sure that you are really buying authentic Native American handmade pawn jewelry you should get it from a pawn establishment like we did from this pawn shop that has been doing business in Gallup, New Mexico since the 1930s.