Vintage Tufa Shadowbox Bracelet

This bracelet was part of a collection of vintage and older Native American jewelry. It has not been cleaned or polished.  The stones look like natural, aged Sleeping Beauty turquoise with each one set into a shadowbox.  There are no stamps or initials on the back. More about tufa cast jewelry below.

Size: 5" not including 1.5" opening - .75" W

Tufa is a volcanic stone which can be as dense as chalk and 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 in reverse to how the piece will come out.   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.  This process usually makes one piece of jewelry, but sometimes the mold is good enough for more than one piece.