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An absolutely magnificent Mark Chee Navajo heavy

silver cuff bracelet set with five extraordinary “lavender Pit” Bisbee, AZ turquoise stones, c.1950’s-60’s

There was precious little "Lavender Pit" turquoise mined and what little there is has skyrocketed in price over the past

ten years due to highly-increasing demand. The five beautifully matched stones in this bracelet likely total around 40-50 carats in weight and are all beautifully and finely set in a continuous row in old style foldover type silver bezels. Interestingly, while the stones are matched for color and matrix they are all asymmetrically and differently cut for shape letting the unique shape of each stone speak for itself and as part of the entire stone mosaic in a somewhat abstract Modernist fashion. It’s a very daring and highly effective visual presentation.

Every stone is a deliberately and distinctively different shape. This is definitely and intentionally not a traditional row-style bracelet presentation where all the stones are essentially the same size and shape or slightly graduated,

but a distinctly creative and unique artistc riff on the old genre. The spatial orientation and visual balance and presentation of the differently-sized and shaped stones here is nothing short of masterful.

The bracelet measures 1/2" in width at the center point and widens slightly to 5/8" in width at the terminal ends.

The silver shank is a serious full 3/16" in thickness. The bracelet is sized for the smaller sized wrist with an inner circumference end-to-end of 5" with a 1" gap between the terminals for a total interior circumference of 6". The bracelet weighs a very substantial 109 grams or 3 7/8 ounces. The bracelet is properly and beautifully signed on the interior

with Mark Chee’s customary last name inside a profiled bird’s head hallmark and it is in completely excellent original vintage condition with some age-appropriate wear and a fine soft patina.

We have seen a good many of Mark Chee’s wonderful bracelets over the past 35 years, and we can conclusively say

that while quite of few of these were very very good or really really excellent, in our view this particular piece stands very near the very top of the hill literally glowing with the aura of true, rare unique artistic and historic greatness. This is a pure unadulterated real deal masterwork of historic Navajo silver and astounding world-class gem turquoise made by one of the greatest practitioners who ever swung a hammer and set with some of the finest turquoise stones to ever come out of the American earth, a solid 12 on a scale of 1-10 in our opinions. Superlatives fail and pale before greatness and beauty on this level. The next owner of this masterpiece will be a most fortunate person indeed.

Price available upon request

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Bisbee Turquoise

Bisbee turquoise is a significant by-product of the huge Lavender Pit copper mine, which is now closed. With some of the finest turquoise coming from the section of the copper mine known as the “Lavender Pit,” where for years copper miners would bring out fine turquoise in their lunch boxes. In March of 1972 a miner named Bob Matthews was given the only lease ever granted for rights to mine Bisbee turquoise. He was said to have recovered more than 2,000 pounds of good to excellent turquoise by 1974 . Bisbee turquoise is famous for its deep blue color and its smoky black matrix, which has been described as “smoky Bisbee” and as “lavender.” Bisbee turquoise is as good as turquoise gets. In 2004 the Phelps Dodge Mining Company no longer allowed anyone near the hazardous old mine and buried the turquoise pit under 100 feet of dirt. There will be no more Bisbee mined. Any Bisbee on the market today was officially mined prior to 1974.

-Bisbee turquoise text and photo source and © Waddell Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ

“Bisbee turquoise is as good as turquoise gets.”

-Ameircan turquoise authority and mine owner, Gene Waddell

At left, Navajo silversmiths at Julian Gans' Southwest Arts and Crafts, Santa Fe, NM, 1935. Mark Chee is pictured second from left. At right, Mark Chee at work, c. 1940's.

Left and right photo source and © Frasher's Fotos

The great Navajo silversmith brothers, Ambrose and Sam Roanhorse were working there as were the fine Cochiti Pueblo silversmiths Joe H. Quintana and David Taliman, Hopi smith Lewis Lomay was there as well as was Frank Patania’s Thunderbird Shop and many others. Chee rapidly gained proficiency and over the years he became an important Santa Fe silversmithing rock star and a one-man artistic institution of sorts working for such luminaries as Gans, Al Packard and Patania until going out completely on his own around 1960.

The overall design and hand craftsmanship in evidence here is exceptional in every aspect. The construction is absolutely astounding, this bracelet is built as beautifully and as solidly as the Golden Gate Bridge and is no less heavy duty.

To attain such strength with such obvious finesse and grace is the mark of the true master. The bracelet’s silver shank

is most beautifully and gracefully proportioned and the detailed chisel and stampwork along both sides of the central panel is quite remarkable. And now let’s talk about the heartbreakingly beautiful and very special Bisbee “lavender Pit” Arizona turquoise stones. Known far and wide and revered as some of the finest and most beautiful turquoise ever mined in America, this stone is from a special small section of the large Phelps-Dodge Company’s Copper Queen Copper mine outside Bisbee, Arizona is known as “Lavender Pit" not only for its spectacular dark brownish-purplish matrix, but for

the name of the mine superintendent under whose watch this section of the mine was discovered, Harrison Lavender.

“Magnificent” is not the only appropriate word here; “spectacular”, “stupendous” and “astonishing” all come to mind

and all apply equally well to this wonderful bracelet. This extraordinary, heavy chiseled and stamped silver and high-grade Bisbee turquoise cuff bracelet by the renowned Navajo silversmith, Mark Chee (1904-1981) is quite simply

a perfect match made in heaven, an incredibly beautiful and impressive piece and its strength, vitality and unique visual impact are exceptionally compelling.

Mark Chee was a completely traditional Navajo silversmith in every way and over the course of his long career he

relied upon the use of only a few simple tools, most of which he made himself. To attain such a degree of elegance,

finesse and refinement in his finished pieces with such basic materials, tools and methods is a testament to his exceptional imagination, determination and artistic ability. Chee came up the long, arduous way from the very beginning moving from his tiny isolated one-horse Reservation town of Lukachukai, Arizona to Santa Fe as a very young teenager where he began his career around 1920 working for $5.00 a week polishing stones in Julius Gans’ famous Southwest

Arts and Crafts trading post in the very heart of downtown Santa Fe which was an extremely exciting artistic milieu at the time particularly for a young Navajo jeweler as greatness abounded around every corner.