Navajo Turquoise Bracelet
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Collectible Jewelry
Silver
Mid-20th Century American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Amber, Onyx, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century American Artisan Cuff Bracelets
Lapis Lazuli, Turquoise, Silver
Late 20th Century American Cuff Bracelets
Coral, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Unknown Native American More Jewelry
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
20th Century American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Coral, Lapis Lazuli, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1950s American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Silver
Early 20th Century American Navajo Native American Objects
Mid-20th Century Navajo Native American Objects
Vintage 1970s American Native American Beaded Bracelets
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
20th Century American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
20th Century American Native American Beaded Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1950s American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise
2010s American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
20th Century Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
20th Century Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1950s American Native American Native American Objects
Turquoise, Silver
20th Century Cuff Bracelets
Coral, Turquoise, Silver, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1950s American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
1990s American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise Matrix, Sterling Silver
20th Century Native American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Silver, Sterling Silver
20th Century Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
1990s American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Navajo Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s American Cuff Bracelets
Coral, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
1990s American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1960s American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s American Cuff Bracelets
Coral, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s American Cuff Bracelets
Coral, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
1990s American Native American Link Bracelets
Turquoise, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
20th Century American Link Necklaces
Turquoise, Silver
Vintage 1970s American Bangles
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century North American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Silver
Late 20th Century American Modernist Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Silver, Sterling Silver
1990s American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Silver, Sterling Silver
1990s American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Silver, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Modernist Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Silver, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1960s American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Retro Bracelets
Coral, Onyx, Pearl, Turquoise, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Collectible Jewelry
Coral, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s American Bangles
Coral, Lapis Lazuli, Turquoise
21st Century and Contemporary American Cuff Bracelets
Coral, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Antique 19th Century Unknown More Jewelry
Silver
Vintage 1980s American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Coral, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1980s American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Coral, Jade, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1980s Native American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Modernist Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Silver, Sterling Silver
Early 2000s American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
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Navajo Turquoise Bracelet For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Navajo Turquoise Bracelet?
The Legacy of Turquoise in Jewelry Design
The thought of vintage and antique turquoise jewelry often conjures up images of striking Navajo bracelets and necklaces worn with a denim shirt and cowboy boots. This all-American look has been celebrated by fashion designers like Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger on their runways and in ad campaigns. In the October 2016 issue of Vogue magazine, Tom Ford said he only wears turquoise jewelry at his Santa Fe ranch. So what is it about this gorgeous blue-green stone that makes us wish that we were born in December?
It’s not surprising that turquoise is abundant in New Mexico and Arizona because, according to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), it needs to be in “dry and barren regions where acidic, copper-rich groundwater seeps downward and reacts with minerals that contain phosphorus and aluminum.
Turquoise is not found in a single crystal but is a combination of microcrystals. Its appearance, waxy and opaque, is attributed to its structure and composition. “It’s an aggregate of microscopic crystals that form a solid mass. If the crystals are packed closely together, the material is less porous, so it has a finer texture. Fine-textured turquoise has an attractive, waxy luster when it’s polished. Turquoise with a less-dense crystal structure has higher porosity and coarser texture, resulting in a dull luster when it’s polished,” notes the GIA. Since no one wants to set a dull piece of turquoise, porous turquoise is often treated to make the stone more attractive.
In the United States, there have been discoveries of turquoise from 200 B.C. It is not just loose turquoise stones that have been found, but entire suites of jewelry from prehistoric times. In the late 19th-century, the Navajo Indians, who learned silversmithing from the Spanish, started to make beads out of turquoise and eventually combined it with silver around the 1880s. Initially this jewelry was for ceremonial purposes, but it became fashionable once the tourism in the Southwest picked up in the beginning of the 20th century.
Find antique and vintage turquoise rings, necklaces, bracelets and other accessories on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right Cuff-bracelets for You
There is no shortage of iconic bracelet designs out there: Cartier’s Love bracelet, the widely admired Panthère, the Croisillon bracelet crafted by Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany Co., to name a few. And while you don’t necessarily need one of history’s most coveted versions of this accessory, you’re likely going to want at least a reliable collection of vintage cuff bracelets in your jewelry box.
Cuff bracelets are fashion staples. This stylish go-to — a rigid bracelet, open or outfitted with a clasp that snaps shut, understated and unadorned or enameled and flecked with gemstones — goes back thousands of years.
Cuffs were worn by Greek and Roman soldiers as they headed into battle as well as by the men and women of Ancient Egypt as statement-making jewelry. In ancient China, jade was considered the most precious of stones, and a jade cuff bracelet or bangle was associated with purity and goodness. Jewelers also employed jade, as well as coral and lapis lazuli, during the Art Deco period, finding inspiration in all kinds of influences and frequently working geometric motifs into their Art Deco cuff bracelets.
Today, people love how a bejeweled cuff bracelet elevates a simple jeans-and-T-shirt ensemble or that a minimalist one pairs with formal wear so well. Indeed, it’s a fine finishing touch whether you’re dining with friends in your neighborhood or pairing your silver or gold cuff with an elegant evening dress on the red carpet.
On 1stDibs, find a wide variety of vintage cuff bracelets today.