Old School Traditional Navajo by "LEON MARTINEZ"- Incredible 26 Stone- Premium Sicilian Coral 925 Cluster Cuff (Large 7-1/4" Wrist) The BEST!
Old School Traditional Navajo by "LEON MARTINEZ"- Incredible 26 Stone- Premium Sicilian Coral 925 Cluster Cuff (Large 7-1/4" Wrist) The BEST!
LEARN ABOUT THIS AMAZING ART IN THE ‘ABOUT THE ARTIST” DROP DOWN!
UNISEX!!
Now this cuff is the perfect example between "low-end" southwestern jewelry & "FINE-TOP OF THE LINE" Navajo jewelry!
When I look at it, all I can think of is how Leon's sole goal was to make it not only with the best of the best Coral there is on the market, but all the time you can just see that he put into it,to make it absolutely 'perfect"! (including the interior's underside!) It's a real honor to bring a cuff of this magnitude to you!
Made in a "Old School Navajo" way,where Leon did not buy 'store bought sheet sterling' like you'll normally find cuff's to be made with, but he actually 'rolled' it out,just like they would do decades ago! The sterling I would say feels like possibly a 4-6 gauge( ?) so it's super heavy & solid!! The heavy weight will be something you'll notice when you have this in hand!
Placed in a 'row style' are 26 cuts of PREMIUM coral that are laid in a double row setting & go to about 1" from the terminals. The terminals are covered by his hand made "Fan" appliques (see photos) & what contributes to the cuff's very precise look, is for the fact that the stones are not only well matched in size, but the color from one to the other, have the same saturation & have this deep,rich 'red-red' color (as opposed to 'orange red').Melted down beads of sterling sit in between at both top & bottom of each cut & then the very center is lined with Leon's hand made button concho's.If you zoom in on the extreme perimeter, what looks like a whole garland of twisted wire rope, are actual individual little cut's of wire to then be placed in between each bead. I do also want to mention that The cuff has a old style "Vintage Revival" finishing, where the top is heavily oxidized & the remaining sterling has a brushed matte finishing that literally brings the sterling up a few notches or more!
Don't forget to check out the the underside, where he did a traditional Navajo Rug Design by pounding through the heavy gauge sterling!!! The design is made from very old stamps that he inherited from his mother who was also a jeweler.
**This is a "UNISEX" cuff & would look EXTREMELY handsome on a man as it will on a woman!! And because of the gauge of sterling, this is NOT adjustable, so this has to fit! Please click on this link about How To Fit A Cuff if you're unsure if this will fit..If you need my help,I am an email away & would be more than happy to help in whatever way I can!!
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***FYI***:
Anyone in this business knows how much the price of Coral has climbed to & has gotten so ridiculously expensive, which makes it unaffordable for many artists to even consider buying. Coral's cost has skyrocketed up to 500% in the last three years & compared to 3 years ago when it was at about $250 a gram,it is now at $1000 a gram!!. But to make matters worse,it's because of human disturbance, based on overfishing and indirect by climate change — This has left the sea’s slow-growing red coral population in a state of decimation. Coral is now on the "Rare" list & no longer can it be fished, nor brought in the USA. (These reasons are reflected in the price) Everyday the price goes up & like real estate, it will never be the price tomorrow, as it is today.Any more,it has become an 'investment' gem.
ARTIST: Leon Martinez
TRIBE: Navajo
METAL: Sterling Silver
METAL FINISHING: Oxidized-Vintage Revival
STONE: Sciacca Sicilian Red Coral
AMOUNT OF STONES: 26
CORAL SIZE: 8.5mm x 6.5 mm
CORAL GRADE: Premium-Gem Grade NOT Dyed!
CUT: Oval
WEIGHT: 5 Ounces -144 Grams
WIDTH: 1-1/4" (Measured from the backside)
INTERIOR MEASUREMENT: 6"
GAP OPENING: 1-1/4"
(Total Wrist Circumference: 7-1/4")
ADJUSTABLE BY HAND: NO
HALLMARK: Sterling-Leon M.T.Z
Comes Gift Boxed.
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SIGNATURE REQUIREMENT:
***Because of the price,this will have a mandatory signature confirmation requirement. 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*
To know that this cuff will fit you, please refer to How To Fit A Cuff