Hello Turquoise People!
I recently purchased this men’s turquoise cuff. To my surprise, when I got home and inspected it further, I noticed the name “yazzie” faintly hand- inscribed on the back. After doing further research, the Yazzie family has been making jewelry for quite some time; each member of the family has their own unique style. With that being said, there is no first name or first initial to accompany the mark. So, hopefully someone can help further identify which Yazzie actually made this cuff!
The interior of the cuff has some faint sand- cast divots, and features three different turquoise pieces. One stone appears to be Morenci or Ithaca Peak turquoise, I have not yet been able to identify the remaining two stones. As stated previously, the “Yazzie” mark is not stamped, it is hand inscribed. It does not appear to be done by machine or dremel. I have read that most Native jewelry makers did not start stamping their hallmarks until the 20’s or 30’s, but I don’t think my cuff appears to be that old. Was it common for any of the Yazzie family members to hallmark their work in this way? If anyone has any information about Yazzie family jewelry, please let me know! any info helps!
