{"product_id":"broken-mesa","title":"Broken Mesa","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis one looks like somebody took a slab of Royston, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ebroke the landscape into five pieces, and put silver through the fault lines.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt’s such a strange little vintage ring. Long, narrow, almost shield-shaped—and instead of treating the turquoise like a conventional cabochon, the maker used channel construction to turn the entire face into a geometric composition. Different areas of the stone move from deep blue-green into brighter green, with brown and black matrix appearing and disappearing across the individual sections.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe silver lines aren’t decoration. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThey are the design.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhy This Piece Matters\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMost vintage turquoise rings rely on a stone surrounded by silverwork. This reverses the relationship: nearly the entire visible face is turquoise, while narrow silver channels divide the stone into an abstract mosaic.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThat makes it feel surprisingly modern for a vintage Southwestern piece.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRoyston is particularly suited to this kind of work because its color and matrix can vary dramatically within a single piece of rough. Here, those differences become part of the composition rather than something the maker tried to hide.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eComparable vintage turquoise channel-inlay rings currently appear around roughly $145–$180, while more distinctive or attributed Royston examples can move higher.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArtifact Registry\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArtifact Name:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Broken Mesa\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMaker:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Unsigned\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Native American \/ American Southwest\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMaterials:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Silver, Royston turquoise\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eConstruction:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Five-section turquoise channel inlay\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRing Size:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 7\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEra:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Vintage, likely later 20th century\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCollector’s Gallery Value:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e$300–$400\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCurator’s Field Observation\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe coolest thing here is that the five turquoise sections don’t try to match.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOne carries webbing. Another is nearly uninterrupted green. Another has that rusty brown Royston matrix pushing through the edge.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePut together, it almost looks like an aerial map of five pieces of Nevada divided by roads.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd from the side you can see the substantial split-shank architecture doing the structural work while keeping the face visually clean.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEric’s Notes from the Field\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI LOVE when an old piece accidentally looks contemporary.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTake away everything you know about vintage Southwestern jewelry and this could almost be some weird little 1970s modernist object: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eone giant turquoise oval, five stone fields, four silver fault lines.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eExcept then you get close and the Royston gives the whole game away.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis one isn’t about ornament.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt’s about \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eturquoise, geometry, and restraint.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hespera Jewelry Co.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47824977887409,"sku":null,"price":275.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0153\/9641\/files\/7B0F9D38-4CD7-440A-B928-2C262269697B.jpg?v=1786118851","url":"https:\/\/hespera.com\/products\/broken-mesa","provider":"Hespera Jewelry Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}