Ok, I did it.
@Ziacat @here4turquoise
This afternoon, I walked into a small antique mall in rural New Mexico. Sure enough, they had some tufa cast cuffs.
I couldn’t decide! It was so hard. So I bought them both!
I think I got a great deal, they were $200 each.
They told me this one was purchased from an estate. It does look a little older.
This one was so fancy. Initially, I didn’t think it was my style, but the more I looked at it, the more I liked it.
Can’t beat good sandcast. Both are very nice, but that first one has got it going on. 
Oh! My! Gosh!!! They are both awesome! And I agree, I believe you got an amazing deal. Like Tah, the first is prob my favorite, but then again, that second one is such a surprise when you turn it sideways. They both have a Reggie feel 
Next time I’m back in NM, you may have to let me in on where to shop 
And like I said previously, if I lived there I would be eating a lot of ramen noodles…
Those are both incredible. Love the twisty-ness of that second one.
@TAH
I liked it right away! I can’t find “HL” anywhere, though.
@Xtina
I didn’t want to spend on two bracelets, but I just couldn’t leave that “twisty” one behind!
I am really drawn to spiral shapes in jewelry.
@Ziacat
I had been to a few pawn shops last week, and I didn’t see anything that was too great.
I’ve only been actively seeking out tufa cast items recently.
I figured that something nice would fall into my lap eventually.
I didn’t think I it would happen so soon!
Congratulations on your buy! They’re so totally different, but individually unique! The terminals on the first cuff are quite different, but look like it fits you perfectly! For that price, how could you not buy them both!
And isn’t it great that they were found by by someone who so appreciates them? And that we can all admire them with you! That’s one of the things I love about this forum. My family and friends are wonderful people, and mean the world to me, but don’t share my love of this art. So we can carry on to our hearts content on here!!
I am drawn to the second one. I like the more simple design next to the stone and the frills elsewhere.
@Stracci Congrats on finding these 2 beautiful cuffs & at a super deal. Both look like they fit you well. I’m especially drawn to your 2nd cuff. Haven’t seen one like this before. Beautiful flourishes and flow to this cuff! It’s like a dance in silver.
@Stracci I am thrilled for you. They are great pieces at how can you pass it price! I cannot pick a favorite as they are so different.
Thank you for sharing your successful shopping trip.
The love of jewelry runs rampant in my family!
Growing up in PA, turquoise jewelry was unusual, but mom and dad liked it. Dad has some buckles, rings and even an Effie C. watch cuff. So I knew about Effie when I was a teenager.
Mom has a huge collection, too.
My sister has more jewelry than the Queen.
So they all *get" it.
Thank you @fernwood @Patina @here4turquoise
The saleslady probably thought I was loony, because it took me so long to decide. But I’m a cheapskate, and spending money on non-essentials is a big deal to me.
There was a third bracelet which was making the decision harder.
Yes, Steve!
There is a faulty solder point on the larger cuff, and a few other details. I almost didn’t buy it because of that.
But I forced myself to ignore it and make the purchase.
The “twisty” bracelet is near perfection.
You must know me already, @StevesTrail.
I’m already thinking about maybe
replacing the stone.
And the cuff needs to be slightly smaller, so I keep eyeing up my rawhide mallet…
My parents both loved Native art. I inherited a beautiful buckle from my dad which he bought in '71. The store wrote down that it was made by Dan Simplicio, however I’m not sure about that; but whatever, it’s special. Mom bought a quite a few things over the years (dad passed in '82 when I was 16) which I mostly inherited (my niece has a couple pieces of jewelry). Other than my parents, I’m the only one else who loves it. The good thing about that is my siblings wanted me to have all the Native American items!
Growing up (and still living in northern IN) I wasn’t around it either, but we took a couple trips west when I was little, and both my parents fell under the spell
My mom, cousins, and my sister-in-law were or are all jewelry junkies like me. However, I’m the only one that really gets into the Native American art; they just don’t have the appreciation for the craftsmanship of the Native American pieces that I do. The one cousin who lives in Flagstaff does, but the others haven’t been bitten by that bug yet. My mother, who sadly passed in 2019, was starting to be interested before she was too ill to worry about jewelry anymore.
My husband gets it, but does not understand why anyone needs more than a few pieces of jewelry, and how anyone can collect something like that, when in his mind, they are all very similar. It is hard to make him understand that it’s not greed and a matter of “how much can I amass before I have enough!”, but simply love for the art, and that there are so many different pieces out there that it’s not as if any two are ever the same. And we all know that when you love something and enjoy looking at it and exploring its nuances, it is not as black and white as walking by and ignoring it because one “has enough of that”.
I inherited some extremely nice pieces of precious jewelry from my mom, and as much as I value and love that stuff too, I tend to wear the Native American pieces more. I think that’s become my groove.
Because I bought the two bracelets, we didn’t go to the Indian Arts Festival. Yes, I was sad about that.
Instead, we went into some local galleries.
@Ziacat would go broke in if she lived in these parts.
This bracelet stole my heart. Marked “R D”
But somehow I resisted. Maybe I’ll go back one day in the future to get it…
Oh my yes, I would be so broke I don’t know that I could have resisted that cuff either, it’s pretty awesome.
Where was the arts festival?
