Silver Gold Cuff Bracelets
For generations, Native American Indians have been creating jewelry, such as silver and gold cuff bracelets, for personal adornment and ceremonial celebration. Some anthropologists have traced the use of turquoise and tooled metal ornaments to pre-historical times in North America.
In the 1800s, Navajo Indian artists began to practice silversmithing under the influence and tutelage of Spanish settlers. For centuries, this technique was preceded by the mining and shaping of gemstones, such as turquoise, and the harvesting of spiny oyster shell.
As a result, the Native American Indian silver cuff bracelet, gold cuff bracelet, silver and gold cuff bracelet, or turquoise silver cuff bracelet that may be purchased today has a deep tradition of jewelry making behind it. In recent years, new raw materials have been introduced to the process of creating handcrafted Sterling Silver and Gold Cuff Bracelets, which includes Coral, Sugilite, Lapis, Opal, Jet, Malachite, Mother of Pearl, Magnesite, Charoite, and Gaspeite. Some Native American artisans prefer to use German silver, which is a nickel alloy. Although Gold is a continually increasing expense and has limited the number of artists who are willing to work with it, it remains popular.
Native American Indian tribes and pueblos are known for particular variations on jewelry design. The materials used in making jewelry were traded for goods and services amongst themselves; therefore, such materials seen throughout all Indian jewelry are Turquoise, Coral, Sterling Silver, and shell. The Zuni Indians are known for their very fine inlay and channel work. The Navajo Indians are recognized as excellent silver workers as can be seen in a handcrafted Tahe Sterling Silver Cuff Bracelet. The Hopi Indians have a unique technique called overlay, in which a layer of silver is cut to express a pattern, and is then soldered over a base sheet of silver to form a bracelet like our Man-in-the-Maze Sterling Silver Bracelet. The Santa Domingo Indian jewelry artisans are particularly adept at heishi and shell overlay.
To maintain your Sterling Silver jewelry, it’s important to keep it free from oils, hair products, perspiration, perfume, and other chemicals such as cleaning products. Chlorine is known to turn silver off color; therefore, it is best not to swim with your jewelry on.
To protect your jewelry from scratches, it should be removed when doing rough household tasks and stored separately from other pieces. Be sure to wipe your silver jewelry with a soft cloth or specially designed polishing cloth before storing.
Bead strand necklaces should be stored lying flat to protect the cord from stretching over time. This also prevents any kinks or tangling.
To clean your jewelry, use a mild detergent, warm water, and a soft brush. Another cited silver jewelry polish is toothpaste, but be careful as toothpaste is an abrasive and could dull the finish. When cleaning jewelry containing gemstones, it’s important to use a gentle touch. Softer stones should not be submerged in liquid. Wipe the stones with a slightly damp cloth, and remember to protect stones from intense heat and direct exposure to sun.
Although commercial jewelry cleaners can be helpful when cleaning silver, use caution when the piece has been antiqued. Silver dips have been known to remove special finishes or patinas; therefore, use care when subjecting jewelry with stones to chemical cleaning solutions. Be sure to read the precautions on the label and never soak stones for any prolonged period of time.
When Sterling Silver jewelry is properly cared for, it will provide years and even generations of wearing pleasure.
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