Isabelle
Key, Navajo |
Ten tufa cast sterling silver conchos with Sleeping Beauty turquoise cabochons. |
 A
- $485 plus s/h |
 B
- $485 plus s/h |
 C - $485 plus s/h |
 D
- $485 plus s/h |
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Isabelle Key, Navajo HB36 - $485 each plus s/h | |||||||||||
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What does Tufa Cast mean?Tufa cast, or sand cast, items are Indian Hand Made items using a procedure developed by the Navajo silversmiths in the mid 1800s. It is a labor-intensive process that involves many steps. Using tuff stone, a porous rock from volcanic ash, tufa stone, a porous limestone that forms near hot springs, or sandstone, a harder stone, the artist carves the design of the item being cast. Another flat stone is placed against the carved half of the mold. The halves are fastened together and a sprue hole is carved into one end. Molten silver is poured into the mold using the sprue hole. Once the silver cools, the item is taken out and finished. Bracelets are poured flat and then shaped. Read more . . . |
About Sleeping Beauty TurquoiseSleeping Beauty
Turquoise comes from one of the largest turquoise mines in North America located
in Gila County, Arizona near the town of Globe. This turquoise is prized for its
uniform blue color with little or no matrix that allows the stones to be easily
matched and cut. It is the favorite stone of Zuni Pueblo silversmiths for use
in petit point, needlepoint and inlay jewelry. Only 4% of the turquoise taken
from the mine is left natural. Most is is enhanced or stabilized and sold to large
distributors in the USA and Europe. |
About Silver100% solid silver won't tarnish but it is too soft to use for making jewelry - it could easily be scratched, dented and bent. Sterling silver has a small amount of one or more other metals usually copper, added to the silver. To be called sterling silver, the alloy must contain at least 92.5% pure silver. Sterling silver alloy is harder than pure silver but the added metals also can cause discoloration or tarnish. |
