Navajo 6 High Grade Natural Kingman Turquoise Bracelet - Verdy Jake (#43)
$350.00
Artist: Verdy Jake
Total inner circumference including
opening: 6 1/4" Opening: 1 1/8"
Verde Jake is a Navajo silversmith who, quite simply, loves to work in the more classic styles, using techniques her grandfather taught her. She prefers the clean and simple lines of traditional Navajo jewelry and attempts to spotlight the unique nature of the turquoise she is setting. The high-grade natural Kingman turquoise in this bracelet relates beautifully to Verdy's style of silver work.
Kingman Turquoise
Kingman Turquoise comes from a large open-pit copper mine in the Mineral Park Mining District, northwest of Kingman, Arizona and was one of the largest turquoise mines in this country. The area lies in high desert country at an elevation of 3,345 feet and is surrounded by three mountain ranges. The mining district around Kingman, Arizona has always been a large producer of turquoise, at one time the world's largest. First mined by Indians, this area was home to the most extensive prehistoric workings found in Arizona.
The modern production of turquoise dates back to the early 1880’s when James Haas rediscovered these ancient Kingman area mines. Much of the turquoise occurred as seams, masses and veins. The color of natural Kingman turquoise can range from light blue to very dark blue and sometimes tints of green. The matrix is from white, light brown to black and frequently flecked with pyrite and times quartz. The mine became famous for its rounded, bright blue nuggets with black matrix. Few turquoise mines produced nuggets, especially of this quality. In its high-grade form it has always been considered among the top quality American turquoise. With so many thousands of pounds of good quality turquoise produced in the Kingman area over the last one hundred years it is hard to believe that today very little high-grade Kingman turquoise is available.
Other names for Kingman turquoise: Ithaca Peak, The Wall, Tiffany, Courtland, Az., Gleeson
Most desirable: Deep Blue with molybdenum pyrite; Real blue with pyrite; Bird's eye; Water Web; Nuggets
About the artist:
The jewelry created by Navajo silversmith Verdy Jake reflects Southwest jewelry classicism at its best. Showcasing high quality turquoise and coral with substantial silver work, she intuits a perfect balance between precious metal and precious stone.
Related legends:
Silversmith Work
When and how the Navajo acquired the art of working metals is unknown but there are reasons for supposing that it was introduced among them, or at least more developed and improved upon by them, since the time they have occupied their present country?