Hey guys! I have this turquoise bracelet and the more I look at it, the more questions I have. I got this from a Comanche man at a Native Festival down on the trail of tears. He told me his wife had it made for him on a reservation in Colorado but she had passed away recently. He also said it was bisbee turquoise, but of course I took that with a grain of salt. He gave me a great deal on it and I bought it, but as I started looking at it more closely it was puzzling. I found that the turquoise around the outside were actually beads. Is this normal for beads to be used as cabs instead? I also found a mysterious hole in the middle of each of the patterns. What could this be for? And there is also no hallmark but I found a 925 stamp. Regardless, I really like the bracelet and the story behind it, but these are burning questions!!
Hiya! Wowzers, that’s an impressive looking piece. Big and flashy! i have serious doubts about the story involving being made on a reservation in colorado… This is almost certainly an asian import piece. The biggest flags for that assessment are the half-beads set as cabs, the hole in the back of the setting, and the 925 stamp. the stones themselves are probably chinese (commonly drilled as beads that are later cut into cabs). that being said, there is nothing wrong with chinese turquoise, they have a large variety of colors and types coming out of china, and a lot of american makers use it because it is often easier/cheaper to get than gem quality american turquoise.
the big thing is whether you paid a “native American custom made on a reservation” price or an “in-the-style-of” price. Either way, the best advice is to buy what you love, and wear it in good health.
@Jemez2 Thank you so much for your insight! I’ll be on the lookout for these things now! I had my suspicions but thankfully it wasn’t a super expensive purchase and I still like it anyway and will continue to wear it. However, it is disappointing that some people, who seem very nice, are willing to tell fibs right to your face to convince you to buy something​
it is a cool looking bracelet, and I’m sure fun to wear! It is unfortunate that so many are willing to misrepresent-I have had Native sellers tell me that an item was handmade when it was obviously an import or plastic/block (I think this is probably more common at powwows, flea markets, roadside stands). And something labeled “native made” can mean a string of commercial beads hand strung by a Native individual. You will learn so much reading here, and looking at lots of pictures of “real” vs. “import” -it’s hard not to get caught but the more you can learn the better!