Bracelets from Patania Collection
I selected these bracelets to be in the Patania Collection because they are timeless. They were designed by my grandfather, Frank Patania Sr. in the 1940’s and are still as strong fashion statement today as they were then. Worn in pairs during the 1940’s and 1950’s they were all the jewelry necessary to complete the Southwestern look. Worn with jeans or dressed up they stood out.
My grandfather and dad made jewelry which was not only distinctive design but made in a way which was pulling the craft forward. Many of the pieces I have selected for the Patania Collection are ahead of their time and this bracelet is a good example. This bracelet is a reverse curve which was to become very popular 60 years after they were designed and made by my grandfather. I have the original tools he had made to produce these. These pieces are fabricated, all hand made. They are hollow so you get a heavy look with out being heavy. These are not thin pieces which will dent easily as so many hollow pieces are. What you get from these bracelets is pure Frank Patania Sr. at his most innovative and forward thinking design.
I updated this design by using Agentium Sterling silver which is very resistant to tarnish and simplifies how I am able to make them. I am able to keep the price reasonable even for an entirely hand made piece. For the bracelets pictured I used Morenci turquoise which my grandfather bought in the 1950’s. I have a small amount of this stone left and use it only for special designs like this one. I named this bracelet “Donna” for my step mother who has been the love of my father’s life for 30 years and a good friend to me.
Turquoise has become more popular to a larger market since the Internet has given the ability to see much more from sources which used to be difficult to find. My family has never followed trends we have always offered high quality turquoise with the idea that any high quality material will always be sought after. Low grade or poor quality will always be poor, high grade and high quality will always be increasingly rare.
The bracelets pictured went to Mark Bahti, www.bahti.com , and I believe at this time he still has one or two left.
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