A LITTLE ABOUT LEONARD:

To marry into a family of silversmith's,was a blessing waiting to happen for Leonard. Having spent his earlier days working as a heavy equipment operator, it wasn't however until his wife & her family had an inspirational impact on him that he started making jewelry. Setting 1000's of stones since then & even advanced to working in gold, Leonard has gone on to win the highest awards an artist can win at major juried awards.. He has a signature style of his own that immediately tells you who made the piece & once you become familiar with his work,you'll be able to recognize it each & every time. He offers the perfect marriage of tradition mixed with the contemporary. But no matter how contemporary his work is,his work will always have that "traditional undeniable Navajo" look. He is widely known for his cut out work,his work in heavy gauge metal,his use of premium natural stones,deep stampwork & chasing.

Born on the Navajo reservation in Arizona in 1956 & now resides in TóHajiilee,NM (Cañoncito Band of Navajos) which is just west of ABQ. & is apart of the Navajo nations. Leonard is a spiritual man who is guided by the higher powers that help him to create new designs & also ropes at the Rodeos,so he's also a real cowboy too! In fact, he was the 2010 Team Roping WORLD Champion for the NSPRA. His work is highly collectible & all you have do is say the name "Leonard Nez" & you will automatically think "DELICIOUS Native American Jewelry"!

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THE CUFF:

This cuff came from a Native American collector & when I saw it,it actually threw me off since I am so use to seeing his cut out work that he is widely known for! In fact it's not so often you see this type of cuff! With this bracelet, the stamping goes deep into the metal & is richly oxidized to accentuate the tooled design.The stamped design is only on the top area that sits at the top of the wrist, while the sides of the shank are beautifully chiseled, that then lead to the scalloped tips that are all hand sawed at the ends.(see last photo) I would say that the cuff is either a 12 or 14 gauge,meaning it's thick & hefty,so it has a nice weight to it!

The cuff is highlighted with a oval cut of Demali turquoise that's known for it's unique green colors..The turquoise has wonderful characteristics & is a minty green color.

This is made for a medium to med/large wrist & has a wide gap opening which is good for those that have a 'fleshy' arm that need a wider opening.(Click on the link below to read "How to Fit a Cuff")