Jimmy Harrison Inlay Bracelet of Red Coral and Purple Sugilite

About the Piece: Here's a striking contemporary bracelet of complex inlay by Navajo master Jimmy Harrison.

The sterling silver bracelet is set with the tiniest pieces of red coral and purple sugilite in geometric mosaic inlay designs. Some of the inlay designs are accented with even tinier pieces black onyx. In fact, if you compare the inlay designs in this bracelet, you'll notice that they're more intricate than many of Jim Harrison's pieces. Most of the tiny stones are flush set, but one little piece of sugilite is set to stand just a little bit taller than the rest. It's a tiny detail, but it's great!

Then, there's the colors. Jimmy Harrison has used such a bold combination here or red, black and purple. It's definitely a unique color combination that isn't often seen in Navajo jewelry.

This fantastic piece comes from the collection of my dear friend, Sally. We worked together at Martha Struever's gallery. Sally left a distinguished career in the corporate world to follow her heart into the art world. Once there, she fell in love with Native American jewelry, especially contemporary jewelry. Actually, you might have met Sally presiding over our contemporary Native American jewelry case at Martha Struever's celebrated August Eldorado shows. 

Sally's own jewelry collection wasn't extensive, but she had a great eye, and she was drawn to jewelry that stood out because of unusual design elements or colors. I can see exactly why she fell for this Jimmy Harrison bracelet.

Sally has now transitioned to the Great Beyond, which I hope is a place filled with more art, and color and beauty than we can even imagine. Before she transitioned, Sally shared her hope that her jewelry would brighten someone else's life as it did hers.

Her pretty Jimmy Harrison cuff measures 5 3/8" inside plus a 1" opening. The width tapers from 7/8" at the widest. Hallmarked on the inside.

Summary:

Item: striking contemporary bracelet of complex inlay by Navajo master Jimmy Harrison

Attribution: Jim (Jimmy) Harrison, Navajo

Materials: coral, sugilite, onyx, sterling silver

Dimensions: measures 5 3/8" inside plus a 1" opening. The width tapers from 7/8" at the widest

Signature: hallmarked

Provenance: from the private collection of a dear friend, Sally.