If you don't already know your ring size, either pop into a jeweller and have them measure your finger with a ring size gauge, or take one of your existing rings and measure it against a ring size chart.
There is a fantastic downloadable (and printable) ring size indicator here.
For more information, to convert ring sizes or to see measurements for each size click here.
The medium versus large sizing comes down to the size of your hand. You will fit a medium sized bangle if you have relatively small hands and wrists and you will fit a large sized bangle if you have average to large size hands (even if you have narrow wrists!). Most of our customers take a large.
The width measurement (3cm versus 4cm) is for the bangle surface.
The length measurements for our Native American cuff bracelets include tip to tip inside (curved) length and gap in millimetres. The gap is the space you have to fit the bracelet over your wrist. We have indicated where the gap is flexible to any degree and where it is not flexible at all. For inflexible bracelets, you can work out whether it will go on your wrist by measuring the thickness of the fleshy part of your wrist behind the wrist bone (about 2.5 centimetres up your arm from your hand). To check fit, measure your wrist/arm circumference with a tape measure and compare it with the inside measurement of the cuff. If you have any questions, you can always contact us!
Yes. We sell only authentic Native American-made jewellery. We source it ourselves, wherever possible from the maker, and stand behind what we sell. We will advise the provenance of a vintage piece where it is known and where it is not, we will provide you with our informed opinion.
Designs have changed since 1860 and the influence of non-Native Americans has increased over that time, but the creative vision and craftsmanship of Native American artisans remain predominant and the traditions are respected and upheld.
Navajo designs in the 19th Century were simple, consisting of silver pieces with simple decorations punched into the surface; for example, buttons. These later were incorporated into concha or concho belts. They also began to include turquoise into the silver jewellery, for example in squash blossom necklaces. By the early decades of the 20th Century the silver necklaces, brooches and bracelets commonly included turquoise into the designs. It is this use of turquoise in silver jewellery which is a particular characteristic of Navajo design.
Distinctive in Zuni designs is channel inlay, where inlays of turquoise, red coral and mother-of-pearl are combined with inlays of silver to form an intricate pattern. Another design that is shared with the Navajo, is the use in bracelets and brooches of clusters of small stones (turquoise and red coral in particular) arrayed in circles or grouped around a larger stone. Whereas the Navajo tend to employ small round stones, the Zuni more often use the petit-point style for these settings.
The overlay style is the one that is most associated with Hopi. The design is cut out in one piece of silver and another plain piece of silver is soldered onto the back, with sections blackened to make the design stand out. Surfaces are highly polished. The shapes employed are traditional symbols or objects such as animal paws, rain clouds, corn stalks and Kachina (including Kokopelli) dancing figures.
Turquoise has been popular as jewellery for thousands of years. But modern chemical processes have meant that artificial forms dominate the market – so let the buyer beware!
When you buy a piece of turquoise jewellery, how do you know it’s real? Some material sold as turquoise is actually plastic, so how do you protect yourself against the fakes? The simplest way is to look at the price: if it’s dirt cheap, it can’t be real. There is an old saying: ‘If it sounds too good to be true, it is’. The current market price of turquoise is about $1-4 per carat, so a real gem of 20 carats will cost much more than $20. The serious approach is to obtain from the seller written documentation as to the nature of your purchase: a statement for example, that declares that the stone is natural turquoise, that the setting is sterling silver and that the jewellery has been crafted by a Native American artisan.
Most turquoise sold in modern jewellery is not what it seems. Natural turquoise comprises only 10-15% of all turquoise sold. What should one look for? The most valuable turquoise is dense, with deep blue and green colour and seated in a complex matrix.
Density refers to depth of colour. The finest stones have deep shades of blues or greens. The richness of the colour is important, whether blue or green; the fakes soon fade.
Matrix refers to the criss-cross pattern of lines caused by impurities in the stone. A stone is more valuable with even lines rather than an uneven, blotchy appearance. Spider-web matrices are the rarest and most-prized. Collectors in Asia and the Middle East prefer rock with no lines at all – which is called the "Robin's egg" appearance.
The truth is that most of the turquoise sold today has been treated in some way to make it more saleable. Since the 1960’s these processes have become common and some have become accepted. Treatments include dyeing or waxing to deepen its colour; or stabilising the material with acrylic and plastic bonding agents in order to harden it and permanently increase and protect its colour, or creating a new stone by adding an epoxy to pulverised fragments of turquoise to form hard cakes of base stone, which can then be formed and polished. There are also temperature treatments, used in order to enhance the appearance of the turquoise long enough to make the sale. The treatments may use any of the following: oil, paraffin, aluminium oxide, silicon carbide, or various abrasives and polishes. Their effects may last from a few days to a few months. Then the stone bleaches out.
Yes, you can pay with credit card via Paypal (Visa or Mastercard only). For more information on payments, click here.
We also accept payment by direct bank transfer to our Australian bank account. Payment must be received within 5 working days of placing your order (unless you contact us to make other arrangements), or your order will be cancelled.
