Pilot Mountain Turquoise Sand Cast Cuff with Etching by David Tune

This one-of-a-kind Pilot Mountain Turquoise cuff is a stunning showcase of nature's art, crafted into sterling silver and lavished with intricate hand-stamped and tooled details. Offering a mesmerizing blend of variations in grassy green, bright turquoise, and rich brown hues, this unique bracelet will become a timeless, exclusive accessory that will make a statement of effortless elegance.

Sand casting is a technique invented by Navajo silversmiths sometime between 1840 and 1860, whereby molten silver is poured into a mold carved into sandstone. It is a labor-intensive, hands-on process taking around three days from start to finish. The molds can only be used a few times before they are ruined by the heat from the molten metal.

The Pilot Mountain mine is located in western Nevada, east of the small town of Mina.  As with most turquoise mines, this mine opened as a copper claim.  Pilot Mountain turquoise was first mined around 1930 as a tunnel mine, and then became an open pit mine when heavy equipment was available around 1970.  While Pilot Mountain is considered an active mine, it is a very small operation.

Pilot Mountain turquoise forms in hard veins with color ranging from bright blue to dark blue with a greenish cast. The matrix is typically composed of dark brown limonite mottled patterns. Most Pilot Mountain turquoise is called “grass roots,” meaning the best deposits are found within ten feet of the surface. 

• Dimensions: 2 1/2" wide, 2 1/2" at highest point
• Hallmarks: Sterling, David Tune, sun symbol