Thunderbird Shop, Tucson
1990s
Sterling silver, 14kt gold and natural turquoise, signed
Total circumference 8 in (20.3 cm), gap 1 in (2.5 cm), width with stone 2 in (5.1 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Santa Barbara, CA
This heavy cuff by Frank Patania Jr. centers a large rectangular turquoise stone, green with brown matrix, raised in a stepped bezel accented with 14kt gold triangles and beads at its base. The band is built from bold parallel silver ridges that run the width of the cuff, a strong architectural form characteristic of Patania's work. The two tone contrast of the gold accents against oxidized silver frames the single large stone.
The ribbed silver band gives the cuff a substantial, sculptural presence on the wrist. The turquoise is natural, its green tone and matrix set off by the plain silver and gold of the mount. It is signed and dates to the 1990s, made in the Patania workshop tradition in Tucson.
Frank Patania Jr., born in 1932, is the son of Frank Patania Sr., the Italian immigrant goldsmith who founded the Thunderbird Shop in Santa Fe in 1927 and Tucson in 1937. Raised in the family workshop and trained hands on by his father, he became a master metalsmith known for bold, architectural designs in silver, gold and stones such as turquoise. His work carries on the Patania Thunderbird style, a distinctive strand of Southwest jewelry that is Italian American in origin and inspired by the region's Native American traditions. The Thunderbird Shop is the oldest family owned silversmithing business in Tucson, continued today by his son Sam and their family.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Thunderbird Shop, Tucson
1990s
Sterling silver, 14kt gold and natural turquoise, signed
Total circumference 8 in (20.3 cm), gap 1 in (2.5 cm), width with stone 2 in (5.1 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Santa Barbara, CA
This heavy cuff by Frank Patania Jr. centers a large rectangular turquoise stone, green with brown matrix, raised in a stepped bezel accented with 14kt gold triangles and beads at its base. The band is built from bold parallel silver ridges that run the width of the cuff, a strong architectural form characteristic of Patania's work. The two tone contrast of the gold accents against oxidized silver frames the single large stone.
The ribbed silver band gives the cuff a substantial, sculptural presence on the wrist. The turquoise is natural, its green tone and matrix set off by the plain silver and gold of the mount. It is signed and dates to the 1990s, made in the Patania workshop tradition in Tucson.
Frank Patania Jr., born in 1932, is the son of Frank Patania Sr., the Italian immigrant goldsmith who founded the Thunderbird Shop in Santa Fe in 1927 and Tucson in 1937. Raised in the family workshop and trained hands on by his father, he became a master metalsmith known for bold, architectural designs in silver, gold and stones such as turquoise. His work carries on the Patania Thunderbird style, a distinctive strand of Southwest jewelry that is Italian American in origin and inspired by the region's Native American traditions. The Thunderbird Shop is the oldest family owned silversmithing business in Tucson, continued today by his son Sam and their family.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
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