This breathtaking Navajo handmade sterling silver cuff with 5 natural high grade Sonoran Gold turquoise stones was hand fashioned in the old pawn style by silversmith Albert Jake. The five Sonoran Gold turquoise stones are mesmerizing - they are a brilliant two tone blue and green color with a matrix of brown and traces of pyrite which add a special sparkle to the stones. This turquoise is mined in Mexico near the city of Cananea. This material is relatively new to the industry and is a newer deposit in the Cananea mines. Unlike most turquoise, Sonoran Gold is not mined in veins but rather as individual nuggets typically found in clay deposits.
The bracelet is hand made from heavy 12 gauge silver. The stones are set in deep handmade bezels and surrounded with twisted silver rope. Big silver raindrop beads accent the stones and the cuff is stamped end to end with deep, precise designs.
The bracelet measures 1-3/8 inch wide with an inside end-to-end measurement of 5-1/4 inches plus an opening gap of 1 inch and it weighs 121 grams. That's 4.28 ounces! My wrist is 6 inches around and the bracelet is slightly loose on me.
Brand new and in perfect condition. Albert is working for a new company now in Albuquerque called "Heavy by Hand", which uses heavier gauge silver and premium stones. So the bracelet is hallmarked A. Jake and also HBH with an Indian head, for the company Heavy By Head. Gift box and Certificate of Authenticity included with your purchase. The uniqueness of the Sonoran Gold turquoise stones and the heavy gauge silver used in the bracelet, make this a spectacular, one of a kind piece of Navajo art!
Navajo Albert Jake was born in Zuni New Mexico in 1959. He learned silver smithing from his parents and has been creating beautiful handmade jewelry since 1987.