Sterling Silver Coral Tibetan Cuff Bracelet

This piece is a vintage cuff from Tibet. It’s sterling silver (JSP tested) and not Tibetan silver. I have nothing against Tibetan silver, as I get its use. Tibetan silver is a nickel alloy used in place of silver. What you’ll find around the world is that artists are more interested in the malleability of the metal, and not its elemental nature.

So outside of western “modern” eyes, Tibetan silver may seem like it’s not as desirable, but many cultures were more interested in the metal's ability to be turned into art than they were in its elemental nature. A friend once said: “If you want silver by weight, go to a bank. This is art”. Georgia O’Keeffe painted in watercolors, and it doesn’t mean her paintings are ‘less than’ artists who painted in oil.

Anyway, it’s been tested and it’s elemental silver in its alloy form called Sterling Silver. I don’t know if there’s a desire for Tibetan silver, but some gorgeous pieces of art are done in Tibetan silver. You’d miss out on some amazing work if you ignore it. I say this as I look at a piece I own that has etched dragons and a piece of vintage turquoise in the center -- each end has two pieces of lapis. My goodness, it’s beautiful. I don’t know how they’d have carved this in elemental silver, and I’m glad I didn’t care enough. I got it. I had to. I like sterling more because I’m a westerner that loves elemental silver (I’m working on it!) but I’ve seen Navajo pieces in nickel silver that made my heart melt. I’ve passed them up in the past and I feel a little silly about it when I came to learn why it’s used.

Either way, this piece of sterling is studded with coral baguettes. It works well alone or stacked with other silver bracelets. I wouldn’t clean this piece, as its beauty is in its warm patina offset by the reddish browns of the coral.

Sizing bracelets is easy. It really depends on whether you want a looser or tighter fit. This bracelet is 6.5 in). It’s adjustable as it wasn’t hardened, but it’s intended to be a looser fit.

34g / W .8 in. / D 2.5 in. / L 6.5 in.