Native American Turquoise Bracelet Zuni Indian Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Sterling Silver Bracelet.

Beautiful Zuni needlepoint hand made with genuine Turquoise. This Sterling Silver Bracelet features a fabulous row of natural Turquoise from the Sleeping Beauty mine near Globe, AZ. This Turquoise is of a very high quality and preferred by Zuni artists. They precisely hand cut the stone into tiny shapes and each small piece is set into tiny individual bezels. The technique is known as needlepoint and was developed by Indian jewelry artists of the Zuni Pueblo. Hand stamped designs decorate the ends of the sturdy Sterling cuff. Stamped Sterling and signed by the artist N W. This bracelet is 3/8" wide and will fit a 6" to a 8" wrist.

The Sleeping Beauty mine is located near Globe, Arizona. Its turquoise is noted for its solid, light blue color with no matrix. Sleeping Beauty turquoise is the favorite of the Zuni Pueblo silversmiths for use in petite point, needlepoint, and inlay jewelry because of its natural hardness and consistent color. The mine is one of the largest in North America and is still operating.

The Zuni Indians learned to silversmith from the Navajo in the early 1870's. The Zuni, because they had permanent homes unlike the nomadic Navajo, were able to use many tools that the Navajo could not easily carry with them. With the lapidary wheels they began cutting stones and using the silver to hold their stones in patterns. Today, Zuni silversmiths are known for their lapidary skills. Both channel inlay (using precisely cut stones set on silver to form figures and designs) and cluster and needlepoint (setting small, similarly cut stones in geometric patterns) are traditional Zuni styles.

We understand the true value and nature of hand crafted Indian art. And, we recognize it's important to know that the artist is truly a member of a Native American tribe. So, to ensure you that this is the real deal, a Certificate of Authenticity has been included with this item.

CERTIFIED AUTHENTIC