Bracelet c. 1930

This bracelet, by an unknown Navajo artist, sparkles like a constellation caught in metal. I can almost feel the silversmith's hands shaping and twisting, coaxing meaning from the materials. Imagine the concentration it took to embed those turquoise stones, each one a slightly different shade, into the metal! It’s fascinating how the artist creates the symmetry of the design while celebrating the natural variations of the stones. The turquoise glows like pools of sky, doesn't it? It makes you want to dive in. The twisted silver rope edging reminds me of strands of DNA, carrying stories and traditions from one generation to the next. The etched triangles around the central stone seem like miniature mountainscapes, reflections of the world. This piece isn’t just decoration. It's a wearable poem, a conversation between the earth and the artist's skilled hands.