YOU ASK, WHAT’S AN “OLD SCHOOL” ARTIST?:

Some of you may wonder, what do I mean when I call an artist an “Old School” artist? This is a reference when an artist still uses the techniques & methods that their ancestry did decades ago and long before modern day equipment & tools came about, which today, help an artist, by manufacturing pre-made things to make the work a whole lot easier & a whole lot quicker to do. What is result of the latter?: You lose the ‘artisan hand made’ factor.

Old school artists, literally do everything by hand & don’t mind the time it takes, since to them, it’s all about the artistry, as well as what it means to be called a true artist.. Generally, the only thing bought from a supply house for something to be made, is the sheet sterling. They then go on to cut the length they want for the shank,(if it’s a cuff) create their appliques, which are generally cut, shaped & then hand stamped & or by using a technique called ‘repousse’, where the artist wants a ‘lifted’ appearance in their appliques..(See photo 6) They will twist their own wire, make various sized beads by melting the sterling, they make their own concho embellishments, their own bezels & many times do their own lapidary work, etc..

Rick is the perfect example of what I am referring to & this is the beauty you’ll get when you own something made by this amazing ‘master’ Navajo artist. I personally love to see the ‘time’ an artist puts in their jewelry & with Rick’s work, you will go on this “workmanship journey” ride!

THE CUFF:

Spewing an ornate traditional edginess, Rick made a real keeper here! Deserving all the attention, is on the face of the cuff & where the majority of the focus takes place. Building the design around the top notch-gem quality cut of Kingman turquoise, are 1/2 moon,1/4 moon stamped appliques' that Rick makes himself & then on the north/ south ends, are his hand made concho beaded stars. The turquoise sits almost flush in THE most gorgeous bezel that has a chiseled-corrugated feel. Outside the face, are repousse appliques that span the width of the cuff in order to give the cuff a jazzier feel. The remaining areas of the shank are carefully tooled, emulating a Navajo rug design.

THE FINISHING:

Being one of Rick's biggest fans, one thing I have to admit I absolutely love, is in his finishing & even though many Native artists oxidize their jewelry, Rick is an artist who instinctively knows how much & where to leave the darkened oxidation in order for the tooled stamped work to be more accentuated, while at the same time bringing out the beauty of the design that is BEYOND Gorgeous!!!

SIZING:

This is made for a wide size wrist, but for a wrist that is not "fleshy & meaty" since the gap only has a 1" opening.. If you know how to adjust a cuff & feel confident enough to open the gap up a bit more,this can be done with this particular cuff, since the sterling gauge is right at the brink between being able to & not being able to.. If you don't know how to do this, then I would take it to a reputable jeweler. But just know, that the only thing by doing this, will be to enlarge the gap to accommodate a more meaty wrist, so it can then go over the arm.. It does NOT change the 5-3/4" interior.

Please know your wrist size before purchasing since cuffs fit different than any other type bracelet, it is important they fit right! If you're not sure or have never measured yourself, please don't hesitate to contact me!!Please click on this link to see if this will fit: How To Fit A Cuff

Also while there, please copy/paste the You Tube link, where they show you the proper way & the wrong way to put a cuff on.

PRICING IS BASED ON: You are paying for the name of the Artist & his/her reputation, the sterling cost at time of purchase, the artist’s time, the turquoise quality, the cost per carat for this type of quality and the amount of carats , which are all reflected in price.

I did not realize this till I was editing the photos, that I failed to take a photo of how the cuff looks worn!! If you need this, please don’t hesitate emailing me!!

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SPECIFICS:

ARTIST: Rick Werito

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Navajo

WEIGHT: 3.20 Ounces (91 Grams)

‘FACE’ CENTER WIDTH: 2.25”

SHANK WIDTH IN CENTER: 1-3/4"(Measured from the underside)

WIDTH OF SHANK TAPERS TO TEMINALS: 7/8"

STONE: Gem Quality High Grade Kingman Turquoise

KINGMAN CUT: Oval

KINGMAN SIZE: 35.5 mm x 28 mm (Roughly 1-3/8" x a little over 1")

METAL: Sterling Silver

METAL FINISH: Heavily Oxidized/Vintage Revival

INTERIOR MEASUREMENT: 5-3/4"

GAP MEASUREMENT: 1"

(For a total wrist circumference of 6-3/4" wrist size)

LEFT TO RIGHT ACROSS MEASUREMENT: 2-1/2"(This is measured from the left to right while cuff is laying flat on tape measure-(Laying as shown in photo 9) This is different than the interior measurement )

ADJUSTABLE: With know how or by a reputable jeweler

STYLE: Traditional-Old School Navajo Cuff

HALLMARK: Rick Werito-Sterling

Comes Boxed.

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SIGNATURE REQUIREMENT:

Anything with this kind of price tag, will have a mandatory signature confirmation requirement & will come insured (reflected in shipping price).. If you're not home in the day & need it shipped where it can be signed for,please change that in your "Ship To" section before I create the shipping label***I'm sorry if this may be an inconvenience, but I do not ship expensive pieces without one. This is for your safety & mine.