Sterling Silver Cerrillos Turquoise Navajo Cuff Bracelet

[Size]
Bracelet Length: 5.5 in.
Gap Width: 1.5 in.
Total Size: 7 in

It’s a giant sterling silver and Cerrillos turquoise cuff from the Fred Harvey Era. What does this mean? It’s a cuff made during a period from the early 1900s to the 1950s when the Santa Fe railroad passed through the American Southwest. What does this mean? Well, it “opened” the Southwest to tourism and a guy named Fred Harvey opened hospitality businesses that offered food, lodging, and souvenirs from the Southwest. This particular cuff was not made by Fred Harvey Company, but because of the social significance of the Harvey Houses, jewelry made during that time is often labeled Fred Harvey Era. They also are often labeled Old Pawn because of another social phenomenon happening at a time that overlaps the Fred Harvey Era. But Old Pawn is a story for another time.

The star of the show is the slab of Cerrillos turquoise. The brown stuff you see is the chert (microcrystalline quartz) that’s frequently the host stone for our green friend. The deep coloring of the silver is a patina of graceful aging. Cuffs in this style fell out of favor by the 1960s for more ornate Art Nouveau styles and shadow boxes. By the 70s, the “old style” became popular again, but more nugget-style stones were en vogue. By the ‘80s, more modernist styles became popular. By the ‘90s, many of these cuffs were sold as scrap or melted down. Some were kept in garages or in the back of pawnshops. They had a small audience, but they’d fallen out of style.

By the early 2000s, pieces were more about composition. Those elements were always there, as it was art, but competitions led the way for a ton of innovation on earlier styles. You’ll see amazing ornate repousse applique, stones selected for their unique qualities, and a host of other elements. The best thing is that this era ushered in some love for these older pieces. Originally, they’d just be sold off in bulk at near scrap prices. But, over time, they caught on again in the southwest. And just like in the Fred Harvey Era, love for craftsmanship spread. I got into them because my dad got me a horse dog cuff when I lived in Wichita Falls on the Air Force base (military family). My old, rusty-looking cuff, my red cowgirl boots, and a plastic 6 shooter. That’s what got me hooked.

So when I see a large slab of green turquoise, not unlike the one in my first cuff, my heart flutters. For me, it’s like a miracle dropped out of the sky. When I see the patina I see history. I see the bag in the back of the pawnshop no one cared about. The adjacent bag sold by weight is to be scrapped. This one and a few of its peers survived to be once again adored -- but this adoration is new. This one comes with the love that is part of their revival. It comes with the patina now. Gone are the times when they were to be sold to an awkward little girl and her dad near an Air Force base. Now that I’m a woman, they will be given the love, respect, and adoration they deserve. You clicked on it, so I know I’m not alone. I’m not weird, we are weird.

My point: This cuff, its time, its place, its worn edges, its patina, its artisans, its slab of New Mexico soil, and its being saved from being scrapped is part of its story. We love it because as an American -- as a human being -- that story is part of our story.