BIL 313 Elgin Tom cuff bracelet

Handcrafted cuff bracelet by well known Navajo artist Elgin Tom. Made from solid sterling silver. The unique design of this bracelet is a hallmark of the artist and is a true reflection of his craftsmanship. Measuring 1/4" in width, with a inside measurement of 5-1/4" and a 1" opening. Easily worn and easily shaped, this is a great bracelet. Elgin Tom cuff bracelet set in sterling silver Elgin Tom Born in Gallup New Mexico, Elgin learned to silversmith when he was growing up and helped his father and grandfather, both of whom made fine handcraft ed jewelry. His grandfather made all of his own unique stamps by hand and crafted jewelry using stamp work techniques and bezel set turquoise. Today, Elgin is a fine craftsman and like to create his jewelry using natural turquoise tones. Elgin creates his pieces as he is working on them letting the design evolve as part of the silversmith process. His creations include the traditional stamp work techniques that he learned as a child. Elgin also creates contemporary pieces that are inspired by his own unique creative process as he works with the silver and stones, he selects. Elgin has four children who are learning his family's fine techniques. Sterling silver Is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% by weight of silver and 7.5% by weight of other metals, usually copper. The sterling silver standard has a minimum millesimal fineness of 925. SILVER, for example 99.9% pure silver, is relatively soft, so silver is usually alloyed with copper to increase its hardness and strength. Sterling silver is prone to tarnishing, and elements other than copper can be used in alloys to reduce tarnishing, as well as casting porosity and fire scale. Such elements include germanium, zinc, platinum, silicon, and boron. Recent examples of alloys using these metals include argentium, sterlium, sterilite and silvadium. Oxidized silver (black coloring in the silver) is a process that many jewelers use to give sterling silver a black patina. It gives the jewelry an antique or tarnished look. The process consists of taking clean sterling silver and using a chemical (liver of sulphur) to treat it to speed up the tarnishing effect. Tribe Affiliation: Navajo