Ingot Cuff with Three Turquoise Gemstones and Twisted Wire

Three deep blue turquoise cabochons rest on a section of twisted wire on this ingot silver bracelet. Every aspect of this bracelet screams classic elegance. The three pieces of turquoise were shaped and set perfectly in fine straight edged bezels interspersed with small silver drops. These all rest on a background of twisted wire and framed on each side with bands of silver.

Jewelry artists obtain their silver in many different ways. Early smiths melted down silver coins and shaped them into jewelry. Today, most artists buy sheet silver and various pre-formed wires from a supply house. When they have scraps, they can either sell them back to the supply house or melt them down themselves into ingot pieces which they can then use for new works.

It appears that this bracelet was made of purchased twisted wire and ingot bands made from "recycled silver scraps". The bands of silver that frame the twisted wire have the look of silver that has been melted and shaped into the desired form.

Traditionally, Navajo jewelry uses elegant silverwork as a frame for turquoise. This bracelet certainly is a fine example of that style. The beauty of the three pieces of turquoise is only enhanced by the classic lines of the silver frame. The unsigned bracelet dates to the mid-20th century.

HOW TO MEASURE YOUR WRIST FOR BRACELET SIZE

Condition: the bracelet is in excellent condition

Provenance: this Ingot Cuff with Three Turquoise Gemstones and Twisted Wire is from a Colorado collector

Recommended Reading: The Navajo and Pueblo Silversmiths by John Adair. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, 1944

TAGS: Southwest Indian Jewelry, Navajo