Tufa Cuff, no makers mark, but does have an odd design hidden under years of tarnish on the inside, which I have drawn on a piece of paper, hoping to determine a date range and possible artist.
9 Likes
I’ll apologize in advance, as I probably won’t be telling you anything you don’t already know. We have members who are far more knowledgeable than myself when it comes to bracelets and cuffs, like @chicfarmer and @Ziacat, and @mmrogers may provide you with his thoughts on the quality of construction.
But in my opinion, this is a beautiful cuff. Very pretty stone, relatively simple stampwork, and killer patina. It’s got a rugged, hefty look and what appears to be honest wear. The smooth bezel is telling, as are what appear to be file marks at the termination of the one band, but these could be anything, really. Especially considering this area would be very susceptible to wear.
I saw you shared it on Reddit and mentioned that it weighs 264 grams, that’s impressive for a cuff. An artist attribution will be rather difficult, as there doesn’t appear to be a hallmark, and it looks like it’s got some age to it. The scratches you point out and have drawn could be anything, owners initials, an old resale code or even unintentional.
I’ll be curious to hear the thoughts of others.
Thank you for sharing!
3 Likes
There is a mark I recognize on the cuff. Upper left. It looks like an X with lines across the top ends. If that makes since. I have seen this mark listed, but do not remember who the artist is.
Sorry, my laptop is acting up, or I would do an enlargement of the mark and post.
3 Likes
@Retired5150 Hi & Welcome. That’s a fabulous vintage cuff with a beautiful turquoise stone. I’m thinking the cuff may be sand cast as opposed to tufa. Hopefully, folks with more knowledge about its construction will chime in.
3 Likes
That cuff is absolutely fabulous. I would have never in a million years guessed that that etching was a hallmark, so hopefully @fernwood can find where she’s previously seen it.
It’s interesting, because we’ve actually had a discussion in previous posts here whether most things called sandcast are still actually tufa cast that have been somewhat smoothed out. I’m going to see if I can find that link. @Jason had posted a really good article on it.
2 Likes
Here are some links…
Identifying belt buckle
Tufa vs. Cement Casting
The Sandcast Thread
1 Like
Often I see beautiful cuffs like this and think: why is it not a belt buckle?! Seems to me best stones and work goes into bracelets but rarely buckles.
They probably sell more cuffs. Maybe you need more cuffs 
1 Like