Old Silver & Turquoise Bracelet

I recently purchased this old silver and turquoise bracelet. It has some designs on it and a turquoise stone and patina.

I was wondering how old it might be and if this may have been made in Mexico or somewhere in the Southwest U.S. and maybe who may have made it? I don't see any maker or purity marks on it.

Thanks!
Kevin

 

It looks like the massed produced stuff from the '70s. Probably not marked because it is less than sterling. Not Mexican. It does look like silver rather than the nickel silver often seen in this era. The person that made this was not proud of it.

 

Thanks Terry for the reply! I have to say your last statement made me laugh, perhaps for the first time today! It caught me off guard...

 

Could have been made sometime in the last 50-60 years by NA/student/hobbyist,etc.If it is sterling there is no requirement that it be marked for metal content. Before the 1970's most NA silver was not marked with a maker's name or metal content.

 

Thanks Hollyblue! Yes, I was kind of leaning towards what you said about before the 70's.

 

Here's a similar one bought new by an in-law in the 60s in New Mexico.

 

Thanks GaleriaGila! So it looks like the design could be attributed to the Southwestern U.S. and most likely in the 60's or 70's.

 

What type of set up do you use to photograph your silver without reflections? Your photos are beautiful and so clear.

 

Polish it.
You may find a mark.

Silver does not get patina, it gets tarnished.

 

Hi,
I concur with Pat. I had an old heavy Mexican linked bracelet from the 40s/50s. It was tarnished like yours. Finally cleaned it since I was going to give to a neighbor kid. It was marked and sterling to boot. Brought 300 in scrap. It was so big and heavy I figured it was scrap lead and garbage.
greg

 

Mill Cove Treasures, thanks for the complement! I use multiple daylight fluorescent 23w (100w Equivalent) spiral light bulbs at different angles and an HP 8MP Photosmart Digital Camera (an older digital camera). I have 3 of these HP cameras and a number of other higher end cameras but I prefer the HP. It takes really good close up pictures and you can connect the camera via a USB to the computer and it mounts the SD card like a regular disk drive without having to use application software to copy the images (Linux, Unix or Mac systems).

Clutteredcloset, yes tarnish would be the word, it was late... I deal with a lot of brass and copper, etc... so it came to mind first at the time.

Greg, thanks, I'll have to clean it up some later and see if anything shows up. I did look at it real good and there wasn't any hint of a mark under the tarnish.

 

Thank you Kevin. No light tent? Some of the older cameras are great. I still used my Sony Mavica with a 3 1/2" floppy for very difficult to photograph macro images but it finally kicked the bucket. It had the best macro capability of any camera I have owned.

 

Mill Cove Treasures, I don't use a light tent. I basically use 2 swing arm desk lamps with the daylight fluorescent spiral light bulbs. I'll then use either different color poster boards I get at the dollar store as a back drop or wood or black leather.

These HP Photosmart cameras I use do *Excellent* macro shots and are *very* user friendly and easy to use. I like them so much for macro shots that anytime I see one at the thrift store that works I buy it (I think they were $10 to $20 each I don't remember). I only buy the ones like the model/style I already use, mega pixel does not mater. I don't know how the other HP Photosmart cameras are so I don't get those ones. Below is a picture of the HP 8.0 MP camera I use and the 2 swing arm lamps taken with another HP Photosmart 7.2 MP camera I have for backup.

 

Thanks again Kevin.

 

Even if made by an unknown silversmith, I thinks its pretty well made,the bezel is nice,the solders hidden and the stamping is nice Clean it like others suggested

 

The stamping is at best pedestrian......but the metal is very thick as opposed to the Fred Harvey type of much thinner sterling.