Charlie Bowie • Lavender Pit Bisbee Overlay Cuff
I knew this cuff was heavy before I picked it up.
Not because of the weight.
Because of the attitude.
Some cuffs are all about the stone. Some are all about the silver. This one looked like it had already decided it wasn’t interested in either argument.
Then I turned it sideways.
That’s when I saw what Charlie Bowie had done.
Most artists would have laid the turquoise flat across the top and called it a day. Charlie built the entire cuff up around the stones. The bracelet almost feels architectural, like the silver is holding up a ridgeline of turquoise running across the horizon. Once I noticed that, I couldn’t unsee it.
Then I looked at the sides.
Bear paws.
Deep overlay.
That crisp shadow line Charlie Bowie is known for.
Now it all made sense.
This wasn’t designed around the turquoise.
The turquoise was designed into the architecture.
That’s a much harder thing to pull off.
Charlie Bowie is one of those artists whose work gets more interesting the more examples you handle. He’s particularly respected for bold sterling overlay, bear paw imagery, and sculptural cuffs that combine Navajo traditions with a distinctly modern sense of form. His CB hallmark with the curved line is well documented, and overlay bear-paw cuffs remain some of his most recognizable collector pieces. Comparable Bowie cuffs regularly range from several hundred dollars into the low thousands, with exceptional examples commanding substantially more.
Artifact Registry
Artifact: Edge of the Sky
Maker: Charlie Bowie
Tribe: Navajo (Diné)
Date: c. 1980s–1990s
Materials: Sterling Silver & Lavender Pit Bisbee Turquoise (according to provenance)
Weight: 106 grams
Size: 6.5inch no flex
Construction: Heavy hand-fabricated overlay cuff featuring graduated channel-set turquoise across a raised crown with deeply oxidized bear-paw overlay panels.
Collector’s Gallery Value: $2,800–3,600
Estimated value for a comparable Charlie Bowie overlay cuff offered through a premier Southwestern gallery or specialist Native American art dealer.
Curator’s Field Observation
Rather than treating turquoise as an applied decoration, Charlie Bowie integrates the stones into the structural design of the bracelet itself. The elevated crown creates an architectural silhouette that is uncommon among overlay cuffs, while the bear-paw motifs and deep oxidation reinforce Bowie’s recognizable design vocabulary. At 106 grams, this is a substantial collector example that balances sculptural silverwork with a refined row of turquoise.
Eric’s Notes from the Field
I love when an artist makes me look twice.
The first look tells you it’s a great cuff.
The second look tells you why.
For me, it was that raised row of turquoise. It isn’t flashy. It’s just… smart. Charlie could have made a beautiful overlay cuff without it. Instead, he built the entire bracelet around that ridge of stone, and suddenly the whole thing has movement.
That’s the difference between making jewelry…
…and designing it.
Bisbee Turquoise
Edge of the Sky - Lavender Pit Bisbee Cuff by Charlie Bowie
Sterling Silver
Native-Made & Handcrafted with Care
Vintage
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Charlie Bowie • Lavender Pit Bisbee Overlay Cuff
I knew this cuff was heavy before I picked it up.
Not because of the weight.
Because of the attitude.
Some cuffs are all about the stone. Some are all about the silver. This one looked like it had already decided it wasn’t interested in either argument.
Then I turned it sideways.
That’s when I saw what Charlie Bowie had done.
Most artists would have laid the turquoise flat across the top and called it a day. Charlie built the entire cuff up around the stones. The bracelet almost feels architectural, like the silver is holding up a ridgeline of turquoise running across the horizon. Once I noticed that, I couldn’t unsee it.
Then I looked at the sides.
Bear paws.
Deep overlay.
That crisp shadow line Charlie Bowie is known for.
Now it all made sense.
This wasn’t designed around the turquoise.
The turquoise was designed into the architecture.
That’s a much harder thing to pull off.
Charlie Bowie is one of those artists whose work gets more interesting the more examples you handle. He’s particularly respected for bold sterling overlay, bear paw imagery, and sculptural cuffs that combine Navajo traditions with a distinctly modern sense of form. His CB hallmark with the curved line is well documented, and overlay bear-paw cuffs remain some of his most recognizable collector pieces. Comparable Bowie cuffs regularly range from several hundred dollars into the low thousands, with exceptional examples commanding substantially more.
Artifact Registry
Artifact: Edge of the Sky
Maker: Charlie Bowie
Tribe: Navajo (Diné)
Date: c. 1980s–1990s
Materials: Sterling Silver & Lavender Pit Bisbee Turquoise (according to provenance)
Weight: 106 grams
Size: 6.5inch no flex
Construction: Heavy hand-fabricated overlay cuff featuring graduated channel-set turquoise across a raised crown with deeply oxidized bear-paw overlay panels.
Collector’s Gallery Value: $2,800–3,600
Estimated value for a comparable Charlie Bowie overlay cuff offered through a premier Southwestern gallery or specialist Native American art dealer.
Curator’s Field Observation
Rather than treating turquoise as an applied decoration, Charlie Bowie integrates the stones into the structural design of the bracelet itself. The elevated crown creates an architectural silhouette that is uncommon among overlay cuffs, while the bear-paw motifs and deep oxidation reinforce Bowie’s recognizable design vocabulary. At 106 grams, this is a substantial collector example that balances sculptural silverwork with a refined row of turquoise.
Eric’s Notes from the Field
I love when an artist makes me look twice.
The first look tells you it’s a great cuff.
The second look tells you why.
For me, it was that raised row of turquoise. It isn’t flashy. It’s just… smart. Charlie could have made a beautiful overlay cuff without it. Instead, he built the entire bracelet around that ridge of stone, and suddenly the whole thing has movement.
That’s the difference between making jewelry…
…and designing it.
Bisbee Turquoise
