Born in 1955, Delbert Gordon is a self-taught silversmith who grew up in Tohatchi, New Mexico. He specializes in Traditional Revival designs and always works with fine, natural turquoise. He was instrumental in the silversmithing training of his nephew Derrick Gordon, whose pieces also appear on this website.

This uniform-width cuff design employs heavy fanned scallop appliquées decorating the equatorial center of the cuff, with double-scallop butterflies flanking the stone. Crescent-shaped repoussée appliquées mark the intermediate directions around the stone. The stone is a free-form, near-flat stone of natural, untreated Pilot Mountain turquoise saw rock from Nevada (see note below). Delbert used 3/16" width bezel material to set his stone (most bezels are 1/8" wide). This gives a bit more dramatic effect to the stone and allows more gripping power of the setting. The straight-edged bezel is wrapped with twist wire. The stampwork along the edges of the cuff is deep and precise.

Hallmarked with a large capital "D" with a spur extending from it and "Gordon" in smaller letters beneath surrounded by a trailing banner. Also stamped "Sterling" inside.

Stone: 1 5/16" x 15/16"

Widest width at stone: 1 7/16"           Width of cuff: 1 3/8"

Terminal to terminal: 5 5/8"           Gap: 1 1/8"

Total inside circumference (including gap): 6 3/4"

Note on Pilot Mountain "Saw Rock": This type of Pilot Mountain turquoise is known as "saw rock" because of the nature of the turquoise deposit. The turquoise was initially deposited in very thin layers between the strata of host rock. Squeezed between these layers for millions of years, this stone is the hardest Pilot Mountain turquoise there is; it's very tight-grained and takes a nice polish. As the Pilot Mountains of Nevada were thrust upward in their creation, the strata of rocks between which this turquiose was deposited were made to stand straight up and diagonally. This is "top of the mountain" rock which is exposed in thin veins layered between the host rock. To liberate this turquoise, the surrounding layers of host rock are sawed away, hence "saw rock." Then a grinder is used to strip away the remaining host rock until the thin layer of vivid blue is exposed. Less and less of this rock is now found because the mountain has been mined for a long time. In essence, this is "stash rock" mined years ago and squirreled away in a vault for well over a decade.