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All About Turquoise

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ALL ABOUT AMERICAN TURQUOISE

I work with a lot of stones. But what I really love working with is turquoise. The majority of my jewelry is Southwest-inspired. You will find turquoise all over the world, but none compares to the beautiful matrix of our very own, American Turquoise.

Turquoise is mined in several states in the American Southwest, including Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Colorado, and Turquoise is most commonly found in arid regions, often near copper, zinc, or gold mines, or in areas that have been affected by volcanic activity.

Turquoise is a sacred stone treasured for centuries for its unique color and spiritual properties. Spiritually, it is associated with healing, protection, balance, and communication.

Click on one of the below different types of American Turquoise to learn more!

Morenci

Morenci

This turquoise was mined in Greenlee County, Arizona and comes from the Morenci Copper mine, near the New Mexico border. The mine is no longer leased to private enterprises, and Morenci turquoise is difficult to obtain. Morenci turquoise is a blue-green stone with a distinctive iron pyrite matrix that gives it a unique pattern. It can range from light to bright blue, and some pieces have a brownish matrix called "Morenci red matrix". The blue color comes from the copper in the ground.

Carico Lake

A valuable and collectible stone that comes from the Carico Lake Turquoise Mine in Lander County, Nevada. The mine is located on the dried-up bed of an ancient lake, a few miles west of Battle Mountain. Because of its different colors of lime green and soft sky blue with a golden-brown spider's web network, this form of turquoise has become quite famous and highly collectible in recent years.

Lone Mountain

Is a famous type of turquoise that comes from the Lone Mountain Turquoise mine in Esmeralda County, Nevada. located about one mile east of Paymaster Canyon, near Tonopah, Nevada, it is known for its hardness, which allows it to retain its color and not fade. The mine is famous for its spiderweb turquoise, but also produces clear blue and solid blue turquoise.

Sleeping Beauty

Located near Globe, Arizona. The stone received its name from the mountains around the mine, which are shaped like a sleeping woman. However, this mine closed in 2012. Making this stone rare and in short supply, this tells you how precious it is. This mine produces a solid, light blue turquoise that's a favorite of Zuni silversmiths. Sleeping Beauty Turquoise is revered and highly sought after due to its pure sky-blue color which shows very little to no veining or webbing. The highly sought after stone has made a tremendous impact on the history of over the years.

Bisbee

This turquoise is a rare and valuable gemstone that comes from copper mines near Bisbee, Arizona. The mines have been producing turquoise since the 1870s, making it one of the oldest sources of turquoise in North America. In 1950, the Phelps Dodge Company was mining copper in Bisbee, Arizona. They found plenty of copper, and in an area of the mine called “The Lavender Pit” they found turquoise. The brilliant blue stone was of no use to the Phelps Co, and until 1972 the Turquoise was dumped, or carried home as 'lunch bucket rocks'. Bisbee turquoise is known for its striking blue color and unique smoky matrix spiderwebbing pattern. It can also be found in shades of green. Bisbee turquoise is no longer being mined, and the supply has long been insufficient to meet demand. This, combined with its unique beauty, makes it one of the most expensive turquoise stones on the market.

Royston

Is a turquoise mine located within the Royston District near Tonepah, Nevada. The Royston District consists of several mines including Royston, Royal Blue, Oscar Wehrend and Bunker Hill. The mines in this district were discovered as early as 1902; in fact, Royston is the oldest patented mine in Nevada. Royston turquoise is known for its wide range of colors, including deep green, rich light blue, emerald greens, soft baby blues, and deeper aquamarine hues. It's also known for its brown or black inclusions and heavy matrix ranging from dark brown to gold.

Pilot Mountain

A group of mines in Mineral County, Nevada, near Tonopah. This turquoise can range from bright blue to dark blue, with some stones having a greenish cast. Some stones may even have gradation from blue to green within a single stone. At times it can contain rare and valuable dendrites, which are plant fossil replacements.

Fox

Located in Lander County, Nevada, near Crescent Valley. The mine was once called the Cortez mine and was one of the largest producing mines in Nevada. The location was known to Native Americans in the area for centuries. Known for its variety of colors, including bright blues and rich greens, and often has a dark brown to black matrix.

Kingman

Turquoise from this mine comes from the Mineral Park Mining District, around the Cerbat Mountains in northwestern Arizona. It was originally discovered by prehistoric Indians well over 1000 years ago. Kingman Turquoise is known for its beautiful blue color and produces many variations of blue Turquoise. The Kingman Turquoise mine also produces green Turquoise from the Turquoise Mountain side of the mine.

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