Southwest Turquoise Native American Cuff Bracelet

This Southwest cuff comes from North Western New Mexico. The center of this Sterling Silver cuff bracelet holds a row of hand cut cabs of genuine Sleeping Beauty Turquoise. Each hand cut cab of this Turquoise has been wrapped in an individually hand made Sterling Silver casing that was sweated to the Sterling Silver cuff. The Southwest cuff has been been hand cut and hand stamped with fine line details. Hand made Navajo Tear Drops deliver extra ornamentation to this one. This Southwest bracelet is 3/4" wide, and it will fit a 6" to a 7" wrist. Stamped Sterling and Signed by artist.

Sleeping Beauty Turquoise: The Sleeping Beauty mine is seven miles outside of Globe, Arizona. It is noted for its solid, light blue color with no matrix. The host rock is usually granite. Sleeping Beauty Southwest turquoise is the favorite of the Zuni Pueblo silversmiths for use in petit point, needlepoint and inlay jewelry. This mine is one of the largest in North America. Monty Nichols, owner and miner of the Sleeping Beauty mine, says that the mine is producing about 1600 pounds a month. Of that, only 4% is natural. Most of the Southwest turquoise from the mine, 80-90%, is altered in some way. Most of that percentage is enhanced, which is more expensive than stabilization, and sold to large distributors in this country and Europe. Now, most of the Southwest turquoise that comes out of that mine comes from the tons of tailings piles that have been accumulating all these years.