This comes from my personal collection. I’ve collected Southwestern jewelry since the 1970’s. Beautifully crafted solid, heavy, sand cast bracelet by Francis L. The double curve design element is said to represent leaves of the corn plant. Francis is a Navajo who does traditional jewelry and is a master of tufa cast jewelry. Francis is in his 50’s, is very active in his church and enjoys revivals. He is married with children and has been perfecting his casting craft for over 40 years. Work has a rich dark patina and I have not tried to polish it. The turquoise is a medium to dark blue with deep black. The webbing is very evenly distributed. The bracelet is hallmarked F L Begay and “Sterling”. Sand cast items are Indian Hand Made items using a procedure developed by the Navajo silversmiths in the mid 1800s. It is a labor-intensive process that involves many steps. Using tuff stone, a porous rock from volcanic ash, tufa stone, a porous limestone that forms near hot springs, or sandstone, a harder stone, the artist carves the design of the item being cast. Another flat stone is placed against the carved half of the mold. The halves are fastened together and a sprue hole is carved into one end. Molten silver is poured into the mold using the sprue hole. Once the silver cools, the item is taken out and finished. Bracelets are poured flat and then shaped. Due to the porous nature of Tuff or Sand Stone, sandcast items will have character marks and imperfections such as small pits. That is the nature of Sand Casting and Indian Hand Made. On average, no more than five or six casts may be made before the tufa block wears out. Never out of style, Southwestern jewelry is an investment in enjoyment to last a lifetime. Dpuf Metal man not included. You can see more jewelry in my “store”. Never out of style, Southwest jewelry is an investment in enjoyment to last a lifetime. Measures 2 5/8″ across x 2″ deep Center stone measures 14 mm x 10 mm Inside measurement is 5 3/8″ around plus a 1″ opening for 6 3/8 wrist Total Weight = 47.4 grams Questions??? Please ask before purchasing to avoid any misunderstandings. The coin is for display only, not included – not for sale.