Natural Carico Lake Tufa Cast Bracelet

Navajo jeweler, Anthony Bowman, tufa cast sterling silver and set natural Carico Lake turquoise in the center.  The natural symbols represent the land.  The organic texture and patina of this bracelet are beautiful!  "A" and "Sterling" are stamped inside.  More about the tufa cast method of jewelry making below.

Size: 5.5" with 1" opening

Tufa is a volcanic stone which can be as dense as chalk which has an organic texture. The first thing a jeweler does is examine a piece of tufa for any tiny fractures.  If it looks good, the tufa is cut in half and, if there is a design, it is carved into the tufa.   There is a pour hole carved into the top and several narrow vents carved into each side.  The two pieces are then bound together tightly and molten silver or gold is poured through the hole at the top.  If there are any microscopic cracks, the tufa explodes when the metal is poured in and the process has to begin again.