Sterling Silver Turquoise Fred Harvey Era Navajo Cuff Bracelet

What does anyone want with a tarnished silver piece? Well, it’s a piece from the 1930s which is colloquially known as the Fred Harvey era. The Fred Harvey Company (FHC) was a hospitality company that opened hotels and eateries in the American Southwest when the Santa Fe Railroad made its way through the region. FHC sold Native American wares in the Harvey Houses (hotels and eateries), but Native American artisans also made pieces independent of FHC. This is one of those pieces.

So, the piece comes in at 70 grams, which is nice and substantial. But its most distinct feature is the gorgeous piece of turquoise with a quartz matrix. This piece is from my personal collection. My favorite piece of clothing to wear with it was my RRL Western Motif Sweater Jacket. Yes, I know it can’t be seen in all of its glory wearing that jacket, but that’s half the fun. The jacket is a replica of a 1940s souvenir jacket but redone in merino wool with a more modern silhouette. I love that jacket. And I love this cuff.

So why am I selling it? Well, I sometimes look at my pieces and decide to let them go. Having this store has taught me that some of the pieces I love the most can be pieces other people appreciate even more. The quartz matrix in this piece makes it hard to find. Harder yet is getting a piece with 90 years worth of patina. But I have other pieces and I get a thrill when someone gets the piece and emails me to say (In all caps) how much they love it. That feeling is worth more to me than looking at it on my dresser, waiting to wear my souvenir jacket again. I get an irreplicable sense of satisfaction when someone finds something from me that they love. So, I put it up. Look at that gorgeous slab of turquoise. This piece isn’t for everyone. It’s the right piece for the right person.