Old Pawn Native American Turquoise Bracelets

While bracelets have always been a form of adornment worn by Native Americans, once European blacksmithing was introduced to the Navajo and Pueblo peoples of the Southwest, bracelets became a truly unique art form - different from bracelets made by the Anglo, Spanish, or other American Indian tribes. Most antique Native American bracelets are in the form of a cuff, with an open area in the back that allows the wearer to slip the bracelet onto the arm past the wrist bone. Styles can vary dramatically, from the excellent silver work made by the Navajo, to the elaborate stonework and channel inlay made by the Zuni. Hopi bracelets started featuring the silver overlay technique starting in the late 1930s, to the delight of collectors.