Giant mens cuff...real turquoise?

I am contemplating purchasing this cuff for my sweetie for Valentine’s day. The turquoise looks a little faded to me in spots, so I’m very skeptical. I also read on an earlier thread that gray matrix is a bad sign and could indicate dyed howelite/varcisite. It weighs a ton, and the coral looks legit, so I’m a little baffled. It is hallmarked “SY” but the layout of the stamp isn’t consistent with any makers I’ve researched. One side of the cuff is squared (as opposed to rounded) which is another distinguishing feature. I’d appreciate any input you all might have on the turquoise and possible value. Thank you!

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Beautiful bracelet. The Turquoise looks real to me.
Have never seen a bracelet with one side squared and the other side rounded.

Am curious about the last photo. On the left side, it looks like a piece of silver sticking up. There is none on the right side. Very strange.

Good question. That’s because the left side of the cuff is flat from the outside, then has a 45 degree bend to meet the center of the cuff . In order to create that look, it’s bumped out from the top and bottom of the curve so the side goes up straight. Hope that makes sense.

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It is different than what Steve Yellowhorse is making now but he would have been making jewelry when this was made, say circa 1980s. That squared side is just enough difference to make you wonder if this is his work. Turquoise looks great.

Thank you for your insight! I never thought of that artist…you see “Y” and automatically think it’s a Yazzie. Yellowhorse hallmarks seem to always have some sort of symbol with them. This one doesn’t have any of those. The S and Y are offset, so maybe that’s the distinguishing factor?

@Jason, they also have a matching belt buckle that has the same SY hallmark as the bracelet! Do you still think it could be a Steve Yellowhorse piece? The buckle is about 4-5" wide.


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I have met him a few times in the shop, really nice guy. I imagine he would be happy to tell you if this is his work Redirecting.... Let us know if the mystery was solved or we need to dig deeper?

@Jason Thank you so much for the lead! I messsaged him on FB and he said it was not his work. :disappointed: And he wasn’t aware of anyone who staggered the initials that way. The mystery continues…

Found another cuff with the same hallmark…maybe worth contacting the seller to see if they have any leads?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-NAVAJO-INDIAN-SILVER-TURQUOISE-CUFF-BRACELET-with-LEAVES-stamped-SY-/163952441024

@SimplyDunn Thank you so much for the lead! I contacted the seller, but they were not sure. They thought possibly Sallie Yazzie. After looking at her hallmark, the type font matches, but she doesn’t put the SY on a diagonal. I’m really not sure.

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