1970s Sunbell Copper Turquoise Cuff Bracelet Approx Size 6.5, Vintage Southwestern Jewelry
$335.75 $395.00
This amazing wide vintage cuff bracelet of turquoise and copper hails from Albuquerque icon, Bell Trading Company. The maker's sticker has faded, but having sold these before, the piece was made circa mid 1970s, by Sunbell Corporation, which is the name that Bell Trading took on in 1969. Bell Trading was founded in Albuquerque in 1932, employed mainly Navajo and Zuni artists (though not exclusively, and not only Native American), and distributed jewelry to gift shops in tourist locations all along the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway as well as Route 66. Hence, Bell catered to the influx of tourists that came to the Southwest in the first half of the 20th Century, fascinated by Native American cultures, the unique architecture of this area, and uncommon landscapes. When Sunbell was formed, the company was large enough to specialize in different product lines, and they had a copperware jewelry and home decor line that was called "Gregorian." This cuff was called "Corinthian," and I can only imagine that the theme of Greek cultures, was perhaps to differentiate the exotic color of copper from that of silver, which people more commonly associated with the Southwest. The copper cuff is, of course, not at all Greek but instead made here in Albuquerque, and more than likely by Navajo, although given it carries the Sunbell label, we call it Southwestern or Native style. These cuff bracelets do come up occasionally, but it is uncommon to find them as beautiful as this in terms of the quality and color of the turquoise pieces--which is American, likely from New Mexico, Nevada, or Arizona--and width of the cuff. There are ten turquoise pieces, all natural and in shades ranging from sky blue to creamy blue to blue-green.
This cuff measures just over 2-1/4" across the top, so it is a wide piece. Taking a soft tape measure around the inside, the bracelet measures about 5-1/4" around with an about 1-1/4" gap, or a total of about 6-1/2". Because it is made on the wide and flat side versus compact and round, it could fit up to about a wrist slightly bigger, I believe. Weighs a substantial 110g. Some tarnish on the sides of the copper but otherwise in good condition. Original but faded Sunbell sticker still on the interior.
Gorgeous and unusual part of Southwestern history.
*************
Note that due to lighting plus monitor settings for brightness, contrast and other factors, there may be differences in the colors and tones of photos versus that of the actual item. Please message with questions and I will respond as soon as possible.
*************
Native Bracelets, Watches, Cufflinks: https://bit.ly/2NpeypL
Native Necklaces and Pendants: http://bit.ly/2ESs4Tf
Native American Rings: http://bit.ly/2HQXwyY
Native American Earrings: http://bit.ly/2FyZ8wy
All items: https://romaarellano.com
Shipping from United States
Processing time
1-3 business days
Estimated shipping times
- North America : 4 - 12 weeks
- Europe : 6 - 16 weeks
- Australia, New Zealand and Oceania : 6 - 16 weeks
- Asia Pacific : 6 - 16 weeks
- Latin America and the Caribbean : 6 - 16 weeks
I'll do my best to meet these shipping estimates, but can't guarantee them. Actual delivery time will depend on the shipping method you choose.
Customs and import taxes
Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply. I'm not responsible for delays due to customs.
Payment Options
Returns & Exchanges
I gladly accept returns and cancellations
Just contact me within: 14 days of delivery
Ship items back to me within: 30 days of delivery
Conditions of return
Buyers are responsible for return shipping costs. If the item is not returned in its original condition, the buyer is responsible for any loss in value.
Privacy policy
This Privacy Policy describes how and when your data are collected and used when you purchase an item from this shop or romaarellano.com, also administered by etsy.com. This Privacy Policy does not apply to the practices of third parties, including Etsy or any third party services you access through Etsy. You can reference the Etsy Privacy Policy to learn more about its privacy practices.
Etsy or PayPal, depending on which you use, administers payments, and therefore protects your financial per their respective privacy policies. This shop does not have access to credit card or bank details.
Information Collected by this Shop
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
To fulfill your order, you provide information through Etsy, such as name, email address, postal address, payment information, and details of the product ordered. You may also choose to provide additional personal information regarding the order if you contact the shop directly.
This shop collects, uses, and shares your information for specific tasks such as:
• providing services to fulfill your order, to settle disputes should any occur, and provide customer support;
• when you have provided consent, which you may revoke at any time, by signing up for a mailing list or request detail of future product availability;
• to comply with a legal obligation or court order or in connection with a legal claim, such as retaining information about your purchases if required by tax law; and
• as necessary for the purpose of legitimate interests such as Compliance with the Etsy Seller Policy and Terms of Use.
Information about this shop's customers is necessary to our business. Personal information is used for specific and limited reasons and circumstances, as follows:
• Information is shared with Etsy as necessary to provide services and comply with obligations under both the Etsy Seller Policy and Etsy Terms of Use.
• If we sell or merge this business, we may disclose your information as part of that transaction, only to the extent permitted by law.
• We may collect, use, retain, and share your information if we have a good faith belief that it is reasonably necessary to: (a) respond to legal process or to government requests; (b) enforce my agreements, terms and policies; (c) prevent, investigate, and address fraud and other illegal activity, security, or technical issues; or (d) protect the rights, property, and safety of our customers, or others.
Data Retention
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
We retain customer personal information only for as long as necessary to provide you with services, as described in this Privacy Policy and to comply with any legal and regulatory obligations, to resolve disputes should any arise, and to enforce agreements. For tax purposes, we generally keep customer data for seven years.
If you have any questions regarding data privacy, please contact the shop owner via the built-in messaging system. Thank you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Worldwide Shipping, Processing & Insurance
• We ship to many parts of the world. On any listing, enter your zip or postal code into the Shipping box to find out if your country is included and how much it will cost. If you find we do not ship to your country, contact us to find out if we might be able to.
• We ship within 1-3 days of order via USPS, Fed Ex, and UPS. and any order of $100 or more will be insured via third party insurance.
• Any package valued at $250 or more will require Signature upon delivery. Third Party insurer requires Signature in certain cases, so please do not ask that we ship without Signature as this creates a risk we are not willing to take.
Returns & Refunds
• We accept returns. Per our policies, contact us within 14 days of delivery. Return shipping with insurance and tracking is at your expense. We process refunds once the item is returned in the same condition received.
• If your item arrives damaged, photograph it with packaging so we may make a claim.
• Returning an item is no fun; contact us before buying to ask questions or request additional photos. I'd rather talk you out of something vs your being disappointed with a purchase!
• Our top priority is your positive experience with this shop, and our greatest hope is that you LOVE the item purchased!
Do you do layaways?
We can work with you on a payment plan with immediate down payment up to two months for full payment.
Note that layaways past due over 30 days go into default. Once in default the transaction is cancelled and layaway payments are not returnable due to having removed items from the market and losing potential sales.
Convo to talk about a layaway plan that works for your budget.
Do you accept offers?
Please, no offers. We receive so much correspondence daily that we are unable to respond to offer requests.
We have loyal customers who return again and again and use the repeat customer discount coupon for 10% off. We set fair prices from the get-go. If something is expensive, you know it's good.
We do run sales occasionally, so watch for those. And we value community. Whether you are a returning customer, Facebook friend, or Instagram follower--our thanks to you is 10% off for supporting this shop. Please go to the About section of the main shop page and click on the social media links. Follow us on one of those platforms, convo to say you've done so and we'll send you the coupon code for 10% off.
Will you reserve or hold items?
We do NOT do reserves or holds. Like any business, we use sales proceeds to keep the shop running. We truly can't afford to take items off the market. But even if you have some funds with which to make a down payment, we can do layaway with you. Just convo to say you'd like to do a layaway, and we'll work with you on that route instead of a Hold or Reserve.
Can you tell me SOLD prices?
We get correspondance almost daily asking how much certain items are worth or what the price was of items that have sold, and we can no longer respond to these messages.