Fred Harvey Turquoise Bracelet

Navajo Fred Harvey sterling silver and turquoise bracelet. Ornate cuff bracelet has a turquoise cabochon at the center surrounded by loops of twisted wire. On the cuff there are stamped silver plates, dainty cutouts, decorative dots, and hand stamped designs. Flexible enough to tighten and loosen on wrist. No maker's mark. Fred Harvey was an entrepreneur whose credits include influencing the Navajo Native American Indians. Fred Harvey was born in 1835 and died in 1901. Consequently, he died well before the success of his Harvey House restaurants and other endeavors. Harvey advocated for Native American Indians to produce “Indian” looking jewelry to sell as mementos to tourists who traveled the railroad out to the Western United States. Enthusiasts and collectors reference it as railroad jewelry or Route 66 jewelry. Fred Harvey jewelry is recognized by the thinly stamped sheet silver, raised accents or stamping such as Thunderbirds (a factitious bird); whirling logs, arrowheads, dogs and snakes are other popular motifs.