Navajo Artisan-COOPER WILLIE-Bright Blue Kingman Turquoise-Traditional Navajo Sawed/Chiseled Design-Masculine Man's Sterling Ring-Size 15.5 (or 15-3/4)
Navajo Artisan-COOPER WILLIE-Bright Blue Kingman Turquoise-Traditional Navajo Sawed/Chiseled Design-Masculine Man's Sterling Ring-Size 15.5 (or 15-3/4)
THE RING:
Using the cuts shape that then dictated the face's shape of the ring, Cooper kept close to his Navajo roots & styled this with an undeniable Navajo look that’s known to Navajo jewelry. The stone is set in a shallow shadowbox setting, where the bezel is separated from the outer sterling perimeter on the face of the ring.(see photos) The perimeter of the face, has both saw work & chiseled work that follow the shape of the bright blue Kingman turquoise cut.
The shank is unique for the fact that it is oxidized/textured on the very bottom, then overlaid with smooth high polished ½ square sterling wire on the top/bottom perimeter, which adds a tad of weight to the ring, as well as spicing up the design!
You may have noticed that the size is 15-1/2 OR a 15-3/4..The reason is, is that my mandrel doesn’t go to a size 16,so I am guessing it is somewhere between the 2. (See 9th photo where it’s on the mandrel)
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A NOTE:
This is one of 12 rings that Cooper made for me that come in large, to hard to find XL & XXL sizes! (See last photo) And It's for these "hard to find" large sizes, is the reason why I couldn't have asked any better artist that specializes in men's rings than Cooper, to make them! Men with large fingers know how hard it is to find a ring that fits, with many time's being forced to get one custom made! So whether you're a Football player, truck driver, construction worker or a man who just has large fingers & would love to wear a dynamite turquoise ring with a true masculine edginess, you can now find them here ,including "Off the Charts" XXL sizes 16-1/2!! (or greater!!!-The latter fall right off the ring mandrel!
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ARTIST: Cooper Willie made Exclusively for Plata de Santa Fe Jewelry
TRIBE: Navajo
SIZE: 15-1/2- to 15-3/4
SIZEABLE: No-Due to Shanks Design
WEIGHT: 40 Grams ( 1.41 Ounces)
FACE SIZE: 1.50" Tall X 1.25" Wide (Approximately)
METAL: Sterling
FINISH: Lightly Oxidized to Contemporary/Mirror Finished
STONE: Natural-Kingman Turquoise
STONE SHAPE: Oval
STONE SIZE: 29 mm X 21 mm ( About 1-1/8" x 7/8")
SHANK: Tapered
HALLMARK: "C WILLIE/Sterling
Comes Gift Boxed
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ABOUT THE ARTIST:
32 year old Cooper was born, raised & is presently residing on the Navajo reservation in the town of To’hajiilee,(Toe-hah-jah-lee) NM, which is just west of Albuquerque. Cooper was blessed to be born into a large family who are rich in Navajo tradition & who are all jeweler's who've made a name for themselves in the jewelry industry. .Cooper's lucky enough to be the son of Lonnie Willie (Lonnie’s the brother to Ronnie Willie) & is the brother to Tawney Willie & learned to make traditional Navajo jewelry from his father Lonnie ,who happens to be the one who taught all the family, including Ronnie, as well as his own parents.
Like Lonnie did with Tawney,he started Cooper out by having him work with copper,so if there were any mistakes,it wouldn't be at such a costly price..He then taught him stampwork by having him practice with nickel silver.Cooper has taken what he's learned from Lonnie by putting to good use all those valuable techniques, while developing his own style & while doing it in his own way.
Having mathematical & analytical characteristics forces him to be the 'perfectionist' he is & one thing you'll never find him making is "mediocre jewelry". No matter the price or the size,he wouldn't dare make anything less than the best..This is an artist who is gifted with an excellent "attention to detail" eye that are spot on & impeccable! His lines are clean & precise & everything has to be in perfect balance & very uniform!
His specialty is doing heavy gauge Men’s jewelry, with the focus on extremely masculine men's rings,He's a "Manly-Man's" artist & is highly sought out by men because of this.