Silver and Turquoise Channel Inlay Bracelet [SOLD]

Cutting and shaping small, precise, pieces of high grade turquoise is not an easy task. Early reservation traders had Zuni Pueblo artists cut the stones and  Diné - Navajo Nation silversmiths craft the silver settings. This bracelet seems like it could be an example of the collaboration between artists from the two tribes. The first unknown artist cut and shaped twelve pieces of turquoise into diamond shapes. These pieces were then placed with precision by another artist into silver channels. In addition, the silversmith then carefully chiseled diamond shapes into the sides of the bracelet. The oxidation of the chiseled parts resembles another set of small diamond shapes when viewed from above.

The silver setting is substantial, not thin, and years of wear have given the bracelet a soft, satiny look. The craftsmanship of both the lapidary work and the silver setting is of the highest quality and skill. The bracelet dates from the mid 20th Century.

Condition: The Silver and Turquoise Channel Inlay Bracelet is in excellent condition

Provenance: From a Southwest Indian Jewelry collection in Colorado

Recommended Reading: Navajo and Pueblo Silversmiths by John Adair; Southwest Silver Jewelry by Paula Baxter