MEET THE ARTIST:

Gallup NM Navajo artist Aaron Anderson isn't in the business to just make money from his art,but is in it for the passion,because he literally loves what he does. A true New Mexico favorite, Aaron's all about creating pieces that will overwhelm you because of their beauty & hard to believe design, as well as creating pieces that can't be duplicated. And because of these qualities, Aaron has a name that ranks extremely high when it comes to 'collectible' Navajo art.

Having a background in civil engineering, Aaron incorporates what he has learned into the jewelry that he makes & like any serious designer, he draws the design out on the drawing board & then transfers it into metal. He is an innovator, a leader in the southwestern jewelry industry & what you are guaranteed with anything he makes, will be that the piece will be unique & original in design & will always have that 'quality factor' that makes his work highly collectible.

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ABOUT TUFA STONE CASTING:

Tufa stone is a compressed volcanic ash material that is found in the Southwest & being it's not readily available, most artists don't like sharing where their source is.. Because tufa is softer than sandstone, makes it easier for carving. It has a very porous surface & because of this, it leaves a unique texture once the metal has cooled. Tufa casting is a labor-intensive process involving many steps.

First, a tufa stone of the desired size is cut in half. The two halves are rubbed together to create a perfectly flush surface. A cone shaped hole, called a sprue hole, is carved at the top to allow the silver or gold to be poured in. Additional holes carved along the sides allow air to escape. Next, the artist’s design is carved into the flat surface on the inside of the mold. The negative space carved away will be filled with molten silver or gold. The tufa stone is then carbonized with a torch and the two halves are bound together with clamps.Because tufa can't be used over & over, guarantees each & every piece of jewelry to literally be "One of a Kind".

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DESCRIPTION:

Uniquely designed with a very abstract vibe, Aaron put his artistic juices into this cuff by creating one that's unusual in design & which is highlighted with a fabulous cut of gem quality-natural Royston turquoise.

The darkened oxidized tufa cast shank has deep corrugated lines that lay in a 'wave' design & then sitting off centered at the top & bottom of the wave is a very traditional Navajo curved pattern. Rather than the turquoise laying vertically, the cut lays off centered on a diagonal to coordinate with the lines above. It's this, that gives the cuff it's contemporary/abstract like feel & makes it stand out.

It's made for a medium/large size wrist,but for a wrist that's not so 'fleshy' since it only has a 1-1/8" gap opening.. (If your wrist is 'fleshy',you would need a larger gap to allow it to go on) The sterling is nice & solid & is literally non bendable, so this has to fit perfectly since it cannot be adjusted! (To know if this will fit, please read about "HOW TO FIT A CUFF" at the bottom & if you need my help, please email me!)