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If the character of turquoise is an important factor when yiou buy high end pieces, you'll love this resurrection of Kirk Smith's class triple cluster bracelet. This large (he does make an extra large version) triple square cluster bracelet is one of two cluster bracelet designs that propelled this Navajo artist into the big leagues of Native American jewelry about six years ago. Since then, his career has suffered a few misfortunes ranging from greedy sellers grossly underpricing his bracelets four or five years ago that created a brief but enormously damaging deflationary effect on his work to personal problems and stolen jewelry making tools.
But Kirk didn't give up. After the value (not the quality) of his bracelets was temporarily artificially reduced, Kirk bought a new set of tools and concentrated on making concho belts for two years and made precious few bracelets. After recently buying back all his concho belts back from Gallup traders and wholesaling them to an Arizona buyer at a much higher price in the late summer of 2007, Kirk is back making bracelets and either has stopped or drastically reduced the number of belts he's making.
Kirk lives in the Crown Point, New Mexico area, near the Navajo reservation north of Gallup. He's an independent, self-employed artist who markets his art to many traders in New Mexico and Arizona. He is arguably the late H*a*r*r*y M*o*r*g*a*n's most commercially successful and recognized protegé.
His style could be described as eclectic because it combines he combines the best of the genuine old pawn pieces -- the careful craftsmanship, traditional design, those old style solid stone settings, the use of nothing but natural stones, and the interior finish work that makes the inside of the bracelet as attractive as the outside. It’s distinctive because you know when you see a Kirk Smith piece who the artist is without having to look at the hallmark. Kirk’s reputation and stature (along with the price he now commands for his jewelry!) in the world Native American fine jewelry has skyrocketed in the last three years after he started winning prestigious wards for his work and won much deserved recognition in publications featuring Native American artisans.
His work goes up at price at least once each year, and with the 30% price increase in both turquoise and 250% increase in the price of silver in the last eighteen months, his beautiful bracelets are not getting any cheaper. Kirk now makes so many different sizes, weights, and styles of bracelets that sometimes a catalogue would be helpful.
This traditional cluster bracelet with an old pawn finish features three rectangular cut rich blue green #8 Edgar turquoise stones all with absolutely outstanding golden brown spiderweb matrix that gives each stone superior character. Vibrant russet red spiny oyster 3/16ths" in diameter cabochon stones surround each turquoise stone. Sterling silver rope overlays surround each turquoise stone, and Kirk added the traditional, hand made sterling silver rain drop beads between each spiny oyster around the outer perimeter of all three clusters.
The center #8 stone measures 1 and 1/8th" by 7/8ths," the two side turquoise stones measure 9/16ths" by 7/16ths." Twenty spiny oyster stones surround the outer center cluster, and there are nine non-shared spiny oyster stones in both side clusters.
The three solid back bezels are mounted on a substantial (each wire is 1/8th" wide) five wire open bracelet frame that rejoins near the terminals. This large bracelet is 1 and 7/8ths" wide in the center and gradually tapers to a width of 11/16ths" at the terminals. It has an interior measurement of 5 and an opening gap of 1 and 1/8th." If your wrist is 6" or slightly smaller in circumference, this should fit with little or no very, very careful adjustment of the shanks.
If you're a collector of the finest in rare, classic southwestern turquoise, then you're likely familiar with Old #8 or Edgar turquoise. The #8 mine has a fascinating and colorful history and has had at least seven different ownerships since it was discovered by a Carlin, Nevada barber in 1925. Some owners did nothing with the mine while others mined a little medium grade turquoise most of which went to the Native American jewelry trade.
It wasn't until after the five Edgar brothers bought the mine that it's full potential was realized. The easy to access veins of turquoise had mostly played out when they bought the mine so they hired a bulldozer to dig a trench. And what a fantastic decision that turned out to be when they gigantic nodules of the finest quality spiderweb turquoise ever found in Nevada with the possible exception of Lander Blue. The famous Zuni artist, C*.F. W*a*l*l*a*c*e, (whose descendants make fine Zuni jewelry) bought a nine pound stone for $1600.00 which was a small fortune and an unheard price at that time. The largest nodule found in this profitable little trench weighed in at 150 lbs., and I believe at one time it was on display in a New Mexico shop.
Kirk Smith's work is considered collector and investment quality, and this is an excellent exemplar.
Please help GOOD ebay Native American jewelry sellers remain in business -- sellers who actually care about you, the jewelry, and the artists to furnish you with enough information to make an intelligent, informed buying decision. This includes dimensions, sizes, and information about the artist, the stones when applicable and other details that help ensure your satisfaction. Those who are in a race to the bottom are severely damaging the business and the artists! On ebay, in the end you get what you pay for. The most expensive things you can buy often began as the cheapest. No foreign knockoffs, no seconds, no stolen merchandise, no plastic, no silver plate or nickel silver, and no 'refurbished' merchandise sold here!
Kirk’s third generation script hallmark and sterling stamp are located on one of the center wires.
FREE SHIPPING FOR US ORDERS ONLY -- DISCOUNTED SHIPPING FOR INTERNATIONAL ORDERS. Please see list of excluded countries below BEFORE purchasing.
Payment is expected within seven days of purchase unless you make other mutually agreed on arrangements.
Questions: Questions about this item only, please, from serious buyers only and NO questions that are answered in the product description. Most of the questions I receive have nothing to do with the item or are answered in the product description. I don't accept offers, do free appraisals, free research, put members in touch with artists, sell wholesale, or take custom orders so please don't email me about these issues, out of idle curiosity, or send questions not pertaining to this item. Rudely phrased questions, any offer, weight questions, and questions answered in the product description WILL NOT BE ANSWERED. Members submitting requests for additional discounts or offers may be permanently blocked. Please respect this.
Extra Photos: Please remember that people buy millions of dollars’ worth of products each month in this country from catalogues where generally there’s only one photograph and about three short descriptive lines. Sorry, no additional photos are available for this item.
Making Smart Buying Choices : I am a proud member of the Indian Arts and Crafts Association (IACA) whose members must pledge to sell authentic Native American art and represent it accurately. Only a very, very, very small ebay Native American jewelry sellers have been accepted for membership. If you care whether the jewelry you buy is authentic Native American, please click on the View Seller's Other Items link in the box at the top of the page at right. A substantial percentage of the jewelry offered as Native American is actually made in China, the Philippines, India, Indonesia, the Middle East, Mexico, and elsewhere and then misrepresented as Navajo or Zuni. Two-thirds of all so-called Native American jewelry sold in this country is fake especially in this venue and on the TV shopping networks! Remember, choose wisely. Save for a while if necessary to buy the best pieces you can possibly afford. Don’t just spend money, invest it in good quality items that have possible future investment potential. It's against federal law to misrepresent foreign made jewelry as Native American. Protect this investment and assure the Native American authenticity of your purchases by requiring a Certificate of Authenticity.
Authenticity and Provenance: This is a brand new rather than a previously owned item, and a Certificate of Authenticity guaranteeing its Native American origin is included. The jewelry I sell isn’t stolen, and the artists and traders have been all paid so you needn’t worry about the police knocking on your door or any letters from attorneys. Everything but pawn sterling silver jewelry and stone necklaces are cleaned and polished with tarnish retardant polish before shipping so that it arrives looking sparkling clean and odor free.
U.S. Domestic Shipping: Same day FREE USPS Priority Mail shipping with 2-3 business day delivery, FREE USPS insurance, and FREE delivery or signature confirmation except weekends, holidays, buying trips, family emergencies, or severe weather from a non-smoker on receipt of payment before 3 pm Central Time on business days which ebay considers as Monday - Friday. USPS Express Mail with overnight delivery to most but not all locations available at cost -- price varies by item shape, size, and weight of your purchase(s) -- please email for a quote. I apologize for the following, the new ebay requirements make it necessary: You also agree to pay within the prescribed period of time and, in the event the parcel is lost or damaged, YOU UNCONDITIONALLY AGREE to fulfill USPS requirements or those of the private insurance carrier so that an insurance claim be filed. For USPS claims this includes presenting the box, contents, and damaged item(s) to the Post Office and then sending me a signed USPS claim form. On receipt of the USPS claim form or letter, your entire payment will be immediately refunded in full.
International Shipping: I ship using either USPS International First Class Mail or Express Mail International. Please remember that PayPal REQUIRES trackable shipping for international shipments, and the least expensive USPS trackable shipping method is Express Mail. Cost usually depends on parcel weight and destination so please request a price quote before purchase. A small handling fee will be charged for international orders International buyers UNCONDITIONALLY AGREE to send the insurance company a letter describing the loss or damage when you asked to. If you purchase this item, then you have agreed to a legally binding contract that includes all necessary assistance in filing an insurance claim. On receipt of the USPS claim form or letter, your entire payment will be immediately refunded in full.
International Custom Fees and Duties: Import duties, taxes, and any import fees are not included in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding/buying. These charges are normally collected by the delivering shipping company or post office -- please do not confuse them for additional shipping charges.
CURRENTLY EXCLUDED COUNTRIES: Sorry, I can NOT currently ship to the following countries because insurance is impossible to obtain except to US military or diplomatic corps with APO/FPO addresses: Abkhazia, Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola including Cabinda, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma/Myanmar, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chechnia, Congo, Cuba, Czech Republic, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea - Bissau, Hungary, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kenya, Latvia, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Papua/New Guinea, Paraguay, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Osetia, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Yemen. Occasionally insurers add other countries. If I can’t obtain insurance, please understand that I reluctantly will have to cancel your order.
PayPal E-Checks: To keep buyer and seller protection plans intact, PayPal policy prohibits sellers from sending merchandise until they approve all e-checks so shipment will be delayed several days of you pay by e-check. If you want or need immediate shipment, then please use the credit or debit card option with PayPal.
Sales tax: Only Kansas residents must pay Kansas sales tax.
Returns: Sales are not made on an approval basis and you are expected to keep you what you’ve agreed to buy except for major misrepresentation or major defect. Ebay doesn’t refund final value fees to sellers on returns if the buyer didn’t pay with PayPal so this policy varies with specific circumstances. Ebay never refunds listing fees. Returns must be approved in advance and then return shipped insured within 7 business days of receipt at your expense, and the item you received from me must be returned in its original condition or full credit will not be given. Any damaged or altered items will not be accepted. You’ll receive a PayPal or other form of refund (depending on how you paid) for the item less my original actual shipping related charges. Items paid by an alternative payment method and returned will be subject to a restocking fee as ebay will not refund any seller fees on non PayPal transactions.
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© Photos and product description: Photos and description are the intellectual property of this seller, are copyrighted, and you may not use, download, or reproduce them under any circumstances for any reason. Plagiarism (copying and using my text and photos) is illegal -- please respect and obey the plagiarism laws. Thank you.
On Nov-09-07 at 03:19:26 PST, seller added the following information:
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