Does this look vintage and possibly genuine Sleeping Beauty turquoise?
I bought this cuff on eBay about a year ago. It was listed as a vintage Sleeping Beauty turquoise sterling silver cuff. I know it’s impossible to authenticate turquoise or identify the mine from photos alone, but I’d love to hear opinions from people with more experience.
The cuff is about 2½ inches wide, stamped STERLING (no maker’s mark), and I paid $340 for it.
The silver cuff rails are fairly shiny, but the back has a darker patina, so I’m wondering if it may have just been polished over the years. The cluster work looks hand fabricated to me, but I’m definitely not an expert.
A few of the stones have tiny tan/brown inclusions, while most are a bright robin’s egg blue with very little matrix. Does that look consistent with genuine turquoise? And does anything about the construction or style suggest that it’s actually vintage?
I’m not looking for a definitive authentication—just interested in hearing whether this looks consistent with:
Genuine turquoise vs. imitation/reconstituted
Possibly Sleeping Beauty turquoise
A vintage Navajo/Southwestern piece
I’d really appreciate any thoughts or observations. Thanks!