1960s Natural Gem Grade Kingman Turquoise Navajo Cluster Bracelet (#17)

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Hand-crafted in the 1960s and set with 89 small cabochons of natural gem-grade Kingman turquoise, this bracelet is surely a museum piece. Buffed by wear and enhanced by time, this bracelet is a genuine treasure. This is a classic cuff, the kind traditional Navajo people covet. Many people have owned silver and turquoise cluster bracelets, but only a few have collected such a high-quality and desirable piece.

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 1880¹s 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 sometimes 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; Nugget

Related categories:

Navajo Jewelry See all items in this category

Related legends:

Silversmithing
When and how the Navaho 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? More about this legend

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