I wonder if you could help me with the below cuff,it appears to be Turquoise set in brass,but I cannot find any markings,I know it’s not worth much as it is brass not sterling, but I only paid a few pounds for it.
Could you please help with the following.
Is it NA
Type of turquoise and if genuine, if so value
I know age would be difficult.
Any confirmation that NA was made in brass and ideas on who would have used brass,I understand very difficult with no markings.
I have learnt so much since joining and have now built up a collection that I love,and wear everyday.
So thank you all for everything you have done and your outstanding knowledge,I have a long long way to go to understand a fraction of your experience.
So thank you from the UK
NA is quite limited to find over here,but so expensive to get from USA
Yes some Native American jewelry makers used brass to make cuffs and some made very nice heavy ones like that using high quality turquoise. It has a Navajo design aesthetic and may be worth more than you think. I would say at least around $150. Try googling Navajo turquoise brass cuffs and see what you find.
Maybe is the lighting in the photos but are you sure that this is brass and not a lower silver content Silver cuff? Have you tried cleaning up a small area on the inside of the cuff to make sure it really develops a brass shine?
I agree with MAlberg, it definitely has a silvery look. And I certainly am no turquoise expert, but I have quite a few pieces that have Kingman that looks a lot like the turquoise in your cuff. I can’t speak to whether it’s stabilized or not.
Interesting about the use of brass; I didn’t know that. I had seen copper but not brass. Learned something new again!
I have a Navajo friend who makes Brass/Copper bracelets. His do not have any stones on them.
Agree that the above photos appear to be a silver colored material. Are the photos showing the wrong color? If so, is the turquoise off color as well?
This can be important for a potential ID.
Looks like silver rather than brass. The stones are good quality, as is the silverwork. It’s highly unlikely any silversmith worth their salt would have used brass in a piece like this. Could be discolored silver, or possibly gold filled + silver, or even 14K and silver, which was not uncommon for this bracelet style which was popularized by Zuni silversmith Robert Leekya, and widely imitated by numerous Navajo silversmiths. Bracelet looks like Navajo work, loosely in the style of Robert Leekya.
Thank you so much for your replies,I will try and take a photo in natural light as it definitely looks gold,need to get a testing kit,the turquoise is much brighter in the daylight and the cuff is very heavy
…wondering if the cuff is fine silver. Fine silver will tarnish, but the tarnish turns yellow not black. Considering the gauge and age of the cuff, the softness of the metal may not matter. See if you can rub off the yellow with a polishing cloth.
Now it doesn’t look so silvery. The turquoise definitely reminds me of the Kingman (especially the look of the black matrix) that is in some of my pieces, but who knows. And Kingman is much less rare, so that’s why I default to it.
It’s so different to see that style of cuff with metal that color. I can’t quite get used to it.
Thank you for the additional photos which are very helpful. This is likely 1/20 gold filled, so while it likely contains brass, 1/20 of the material volume is likely a layer of Karat gold. This would be my best educated guess. If not gold filled, it looks like perhaps 14K gold, but as you suggested, you’ll need to have it tested to actually find out what you have.
Thank you, I have also got some watch tips in gold,which I also thought unusual,same turquoise,I’ll put a picture below.
I am now wondering if it is brass though, as I have noticed that I can see silver where some of the gold has rubbed of the tips.
The stamp identifies the material as 1/20 gold filled over sterling. A great deal of this type of jewelry was made by Don Mortensen’s company “Goldfields” on West Hwy 66, in Gallup NM in the 70s. I was thinking the bracelet looks like it could be from Mortensen’s shop as well.
Turquoise in the bracelet looks like natural Kingman nugget. The turquoise in the watch band looks a bit more like sleeping beauty, but could be Kingman as well.
