Handcrafted Tufa Cast Silver Bracelet with Three Turquoise Cabochons

This tufa cast silver bracelet is a beautiful example of the Squash Blossom style cuff, a design deeply rooted in Navajo jewelry tradition. Crafted in two sections, the bracelet features a slightly textured surface created by the unique tufa casting process.

Three rectangular green domed turquoise gemstones are prominently set along the cuff, their vibrant hues contrasting beautifully with the silver. The stones are accented with intricately twisted silver wire adornments and triangular stamped decorations characteristic of vintage mid-20th-century pieces.

This bracelet was made in what is referred to as a traditional sand cast or tufa cast procedure. Sand casting or tufa casting are understood to be methods by which a jeweler pours molten silver in a pre-designed mold in a flat brick-like form. The bracelet formed in this manner is cast in the flat position. After cooling for a period, the flat casting is removed from the mold and heated to a temperature which allows it to be shaped in a curved form.

HOW TO MEASURE YOUR WRIST FOR BRACELET SIZE

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Handcrafted Tufa Cast Silver Bracelet with Three Turquoise Cabochons is from the estate of an Adobe Gallery client

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

TAGS: Southwest Indian Jewelry, Navajo