|
Turquoise
Chemical composition: CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8*5(H2O)
Hydrated copper aluminum phosphate.
Class: Phosphates
Color: Blue, green, blue-green.
Luster: dull to waxy
Transparency: opaque
Hardness: 5-6.
Refractive index: 1.62
Crystal structure: Triclinic(massive)
Crystal Habits:crystals are rarely large enough to see,
usually massive, cryptocrystalline forms Such as nodules
Cleavage: perfect in two direction, but not often seen
Fracture: conchoidal and smooth
Specific Gravity: 2.6-2.9
Streak: white with a greenish tint
Sources: Iran (Persia), Tibet, China, Egypt,
Arizona and Southwestern United States
Associated Minerals: pyrite. limonite. quartz and clays
Turquoise is one of the oldest known gem materials.
 When turquoise first came to the attention of man is unknown. We have archeological as well as literary references that pre date the Christian era by five millennia. The four bracelets of Queen Zar, found on her mummified arm, date to the second ruler of the Egypt's First Dynasty, approximately 5500 BC. Turquoise was used for beads by the Egyptians. Combined with other ornamental stones, the turquoise was inlaid in gold by Sumerians and Egyptians to produce very sophisticated articles of Jewelry.
Large mines were reported around 3,200 BC in the Sinai. The oldest known source of turquoise is the Maghara Wadi mines in the Sinai Peninsula. Mining expeditions of up to several thousand laborers were sent there annually. These mines were worked for the pharaohs for 2000 years. They, were rediscovered in the mid-nineteenth century and worked on and off until the beginning of this century.
Turquoise was worn by Pharaohs and Aztec Kings. Its prized blue color, is so distinctive that its name is used to describe any color that resembles it. Pre-Columbian Indians used turquoise for beads and pendants. From,500 BC Burial grounds, in Central America and Mexico. Teeth were found decorated with turquoise. A tribute to early dentistry as well as a different idea for adornment. It was also extensively used around 200 BC, by both southwestern US Native Americans and by many of the Indian tribes in Mexico.
The Anasazi and Hohokam mined turquoise throughout our Southwest. Absolute evidence exists that these prehistoric people mined turquoise at Cerillos and the Burro Mountains of New Mexico, Kingman and Morenci in Arizona and the Conejos areas of Colorado. Turquoise was a popular trade item. We know this because so much has been found in archeological sites. Many hundreds of miles away from its source. A prime example is the Cerillos, New Mexico, turquoise found with the Aztecs.
The Native American Jewelry or "Indian style" jewelry with turquoise mounted in or with silver is relatively new. Some believe this style of Jewelry was unknown prior to about 1880, when a white trader persuaded a Navajo craftsman to make turquoise and silver jewelry using coin silver. Prior to this time, the Native Americans had made solid turquoise beads, carvings, and inlaid mosaics.
According to American Indians, the stone brought together the spirits of sea and sky to bless warriors and hunters; a turquoise arrowhead assured accurate aim. It was said that a fine turquoise was hidden in the damp ground at the end of the rainbow. A Navajo belief is that a piece of turquoise cast into a river, accompanied by a prayer to the god of rain, will cause rainfall.
The name Turquoise:
may have come from the word Turquie, French for Turkey, because of the early belief that the mineral came from that country (the turquoise most likely came from Alimersai Mountain in Persia (now Iran) or the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, two of the world's oldest known turquoise mining areas.) Another possibility could be the name came from the French description of the gemstone, "pierre turquin" meaning dark blue stone.
For thousands of years the finest intense blue turquoise in the world was found in Persia, and the term "Persian Turquoise" became synonymous with the finest quality.
This changed during the late 1800's and early 1900's when modern miners discovered or rediscovered significant deposits of high-quality turquoise in the western and southwestern United States. Material from many of these deposits was just as fine as the finest "Persian."
Today, the term "Persian Turquoise" is more often a definition of quality. Rather than a statement of origin. The majority of the world's finest-quality turquoise comes from the United States.
Old and New Locations of Turquoise
The mines of Nishapur, in northeastern Iran, described in 1300 AD as having belonged to Isaac, the son of Abraham, supplied turquoise to Europe and Western Asia for centuries, and to the United States for years before production ceased.
While turquoise has been produced in Tibet, China, Australia, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Turkestan and Afghanistan, the principal source today is the Southwest region of the United States-New Mexico, Nevada and Arizona. It has also been found in Texas, Colorado and California.
Some of the Southwest mines were Lander, Lone Mountain, Red Mountain, Morenci, Bisbee, Sleeping Beauty, Old #8, The HitMan, Kingman,Hachita,Tyrone and Fox.
The Formula For Turquoise
Chemically, a hydrated phosphate of copper and aluminum. Turquoise is usually found in the"alteration zones," of arid or desert regions. These zones are areas where the native, original rocks have been altered through the intrusion of other rocks from some volcanic or other thermal influence. The hydrothermal alteration is created by magma solutions from deep in the earth being forced to the surface through fractures or pores which eventually change the original rocks.
Several steps and processes are necessary to create turquoise. First there must be a source of copper. This occurs in a rather limited number of areas in the world. There must be a source of phosphorus CO-located with the copper. Usually from the mineral, Apatite. Which is not always in rocks associated with copper.
There must also be feldspar for the aluminum. Along with deep hydrothermal alteration. Which breaks down the feldspars and frees the aluminum needed for the turquoise. The phosphorus usually comes from phosphoric acid leached from the Apatite, during the hydrothermal alteration.
The copper is usually introduced into the "host" rocks by the rising hot magma. The copper readily oxidizes near the surface when it is in the hot magma solution. It reacts freely with the aluminum and phosphoric acid to form turquoise.
At this time other minerals enter into the turquoise structure and create color variations. The chemical formula of turquoise is: (CuAl6 (PO4)8 4H2O) this structure will very greatly with the introduction of Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, Silicon, and Zinc. These additional elements when incorporated in the molecular structure of turquoise influence its color and hardness. The color of turquoise can vary from a deep blue to a deep green, with every variation of color in-between.
Generally, the more copper in the molecular structure the bluer the turquoise. The introduction of iron causes the greener cast to the stone. Turquoise creation is affected by many other factors too. For example; the best, hardest turquoise is found within 100 feet of the earth's surface
This is not to say that turquoise has not been found in areas without igneous or volcanic activity. Turquoise has been found in the Sinai and in Australia. In these two areas it is found in sandstone and shale.
Its One other key geological activity is called silicification. It too is an act of hydrothermal and intrusive alteration. Here silica, which is a common associate of turquoise, is introduced into the turquoise deposit. This addition and periods of intense heat are responsible for the hardness of the turquoise and frequently the matrix as well.
Physical Properties of Turquoise
Turquoise is opaque and has a Mohs scale hardness that varies greatly. The deeply mined chalk like turquoise may only have a mohs hardness slightly over 2. Where as a gem specimen mined closer to the surface may be up to 6. The hardness varies due to several factors. Environment and matrix are key. In silica verities quartz particles are present and the stone will be hard enough for use as a gem stone. Silicification will strengthen some of the matrix as well.
If silicification has not occurred the turquoise will likely be chalky, porous, and soft. It will not be usable in jewelry without undergoing treatment. Usually stabilization. Stabilization may also be used because moisture will cause turquoise to turn toward green This can occur in the ground or in jewelry by absorbing moisture and oils. This is not unlike blue azurite changing to
green malachite as its creation environment increases its water content.
Turquoise must consist of copper, aluminum and phosphorus. Other elements can replace various percentages of these and change the molecular structure. For example, two very rare minerals, chalcosiderite (where iron replaces the aluminum) and faustite (where zinc replaces the aluminum) do exist in turquoise environments. Usually there will only be a partial replacement of the aluminum with iron and zinc, thus leaving the turquoise altered only in color.
Turquoise: Pricing
Stabilization;
stabilized turquoise is a natural turquoise, usually in nugget form, that is too porous or soft to hold a luster. It is submerged into a stabilizing compound, most likely an epoxy resin. The natural capillary action of the porous stone draws this stabilizing compound throughout the stone. It is then dried, cut, drilled, cabbed, etc. and prepared for jewelry. The turquoise has not been altered. The pores of the stone have been filled with a clear resin that makes the stone usable.
If this type of turquoise was not on the market, many jewelry artisans would not be employed. It allows wide diversity. For example, necklaces of tiny turquoise beads now can be made and tiny inlay is possible. Colors will not change because the pores are sealed. It is not practical to use a high-grade natural stone for heishe. For example, too much turquoise is wasted in the grinding and the resultant bead will be fragile and will eventually change color as well.
Turquoise is a precious stone. it ranges in cost from $2.00 per carat to over $100.00 per carat Turquoise Mirth & Myth
Color enhancement has existed for thousands of years. In ancient times a common way to enhance turquoise. Was to submerge the stone in animal or vegetable oil and let it dry. It. Would then have a luster that did not previously exist. This would not last for a very long and the certain advent of oil stains appearing, when worn. Prompted the seller to leave the area shortly after the sale.
Turquoise became a major trade and barter item for the early Persians. Persian turquoise was found in ancient graves in Turkistan, and in the first to third century AD, in graves throughout the Caucausus. Persian stones were much coveted in Afghanistan, and as far north as Siberia.
The finest color, sometimes referred to as Persian, is an even robin's egg blue. The ancients preferred blue because a gem-grade blue stone would not change color (King Tut's treasures include a substantial amount of this type of blue turquoise and it appears unchanged today.
The less hard blues would eventually shade towards green. At this point in history green was not as good. Time has proven this wrong. Some green hued turquoise such as Skyhorse, China Mountain (both are names given to turquoise from China), Cerillos, Blue Gem, Fox, to name a few are ranked in the top three grades.
Turquoise may be fashioned to include portions of the rock in which it was found. This rock is referred to as matrix. The matrix often forms a pattern called "spiderweb," which many people prefer. Rather than clear blue stones without matrix.
Although not specifically mentioned in the Bible, scholars believe that the robe worn by the high priest Aaron was adorned with turquoise. Aristotle, Pliny and others refer to stones that must have been turquoise. After the fourth or fifth century AD, many writings appeared discussing the stone. Explorers such as Marco Polo took time to write about it.
Turquoise jewelry, has always been popular in the Orient. Tibet also had it's own source of turquoise usually a green cast, very hard stone. It has a significant amount of spider webbing. Turquoise was a highly revered item to the Tibetans who ranked them in six grades, the most expensive valued well above gold. Every Tibetan wore or carried a piece of turquoise throughout life. Turquoise was used for currency in many areas of Tibet.
The history of turquoise in China dates to the thirteenth century AD Although mining did exist, most stone came from trade with the Persians, Turks, Tibetans, and the Mongols. Much Chinese turquoise was used for carving and in other art and decorative ways. It never became a precious stone for the Chinese as was Jade for example. Turquoise was unknown until the 18th Century in Japan.
Turquoise was not of great import in early and medieval Europe. However, as Asian conquests and incursions into Europe, occurred. Seventeenth century Englishmen traveling there. Brought the style back with them, but not until Victorian time was it fashionable for European women to wear the stone. Victorian and Art Nouveau jewelry featured a good deal of turquoise.
Ancient doctors exploited the stone's medicinal potentials. These varied from land to land and age to age. It was thought to prevent injury through accident, prevent blindness by placing perfect stones over the eyes. It was ground into a salve or powder. It was rubbed on or ingested to cure stomach disorders, internal bleeding, ailments of the hip. Even for bites and stings. From snakes and scorpions.
It found its way into the mystic arts. Its color could forecast good or bad, predict the weather and influence dreams. It was good for nearly every ailment including insanity. As a good luck talisman it found usage in nearly every culture. The Egyptians also mounted turquoise in silver to treat eyes suffering from cataract. Since the fourteenth century, harnesses of dogs, horses and other animals have been decorated with turquoise to protect the animal and master from falling injuries.
Turquoise has been believed to confer foresight as well as protect the wearer from danger. In various countries, it is believed to fade when illness or danger is near. Another belief is that a fading stone indicates a lover's faithlessness or a friend's disaffection. In many cultures, the stone is regarded as a harbinger of good fortune, success and health.
Aztecs and Egyptians considered it a symbol of prosperity. In India, one was to wear a turquoise on the little finger and look at the stone after seeing the new moon to gain great wealth. The turquoise from Iran is characteristically an intense medium blue color and takes a fine polish. American and Mexican turquoises range from light blue to greenish-blue to bluish-green. Egyptian turquoise contains more green, showing greenish-blue to yellowish-green. Turquoise was likely found and used by early man. Certainly the prehistoric peoples of the Western hemisphere knew of turquoise. Turquoise has been found in burial and archeological sites throughout the two continents. It seems clear that turquoise was always considered a stone of life and good fortune and it even had healing properties. The stone was used in religion, art, trade, treaty negotiations as well as for jewelry. It was considered by some tribes to be associated with life itself. Tuequoise is the Birthstone for December & the 11th anniversary.
STORY & HISTORY OF TURQUOISE
Legend has it that the People danced and rejoiced when the rains came. Their tears of joy mixed with the rain and seeped into Mother Earth to become the SkyStone - Turquoise. Turquoise, the "fallen sky stone" hidden in Mother Earth, has been valued by cultures for its beauty and reputed spiritual and life-giving qualities for over 7000 years. It is a true gem of the centuries. A long time ago someone noticed a clear blue line running through gray rock, and saw the imagery of sky and water in stone, and from that time on, turquoise has been cherished above all else in creation - turquoise, stone of sky, stone of water, stone of blessings, good fortune, protection, good health and long life. Here in the United States, turquoise is synonymous with the Southwest. In streets, plazas and in the middle of the desert; over plain dresses, velvet blouses, satin skirts, cowboy shirts and ceremonial costumes, Anglos as well as Pueblo and Navajo Indians wear turquoise necklaces, turquoise pendant, turquoise bracelets, belts and pins and as much as they can at one time. Elsewhere, turquoise may come and go with fashion. Here turquoise is more precious than gold, an enduring _expression of Native American culture. It is the birthstone of December and signifies success. All pictures on this page are of untreated, beautiful, Natural Turquoise. Turquoise, once a luxury intended only for the noble, is worn by every native of the Southwest as a sign of relative wealth. The rain gods and the kachinas wear it. The Earth Mother herself was once a little figure made of turquoise, before Talking God brought Changing Woman to life. There is a wonderful fascination to turquoise, a feeling that takes hold of a person who comes in contact with it for a time. This fascination has been the same down through the centuries and it has been prized for thousands of years through many countries of the world. The Egyptians some 70 centuries ago were captivated by it. The evidence is a bracelet of carved turquoise and gold found on the mummified arm of an Egyptian queen. This is the oldest known example of jewelry and was made over seven thousand years ago. In Persia (Iran) turquoise has been mined since before 2100 B.C. Persian writings tell of large vases carved from huge pieces of turquoise. One of the largest had the capacity of six gallons. The Middle East has been supplying turquoise for ancient Egyptians, Nubians, Greeks, and Romans for centuries. Most early European turquoise came from the Middle East by way of traders in what is modern day Turkey. In fact the word "turquoise" is derived from the French word for "Turkish." Turquoise is an essential and highly valued stone in Tibetan culture. It is worn by men and women alike in a variety of jewelry and accessories, as well as being set into statues and other religious and ritual objects. It is considered beneficial to general physical well-being, and its cooling nature is thought to help high blood pressure as well as to purify the blood and benefit the liver. In China turquoise was used in very early times and much has always been worn in jewelry. The Chinese are greatly fascinated by turquoise, and to them it is second only to jade. Today, turquoise can be found in many countries of the world, but high-grade turquoise is found mostly in China, Tibet, Persia and the Southwest. The Cerrillos Mines on Turquoise Mountain (in New Mexico) are the oldest known source of turquoise in the Southwest. In workshops at Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, artisans polished stones that were coveted by nobles of distant lands. Turquoise from this area has been found as far as Oaxaca, Mexico. The kings and emperors of the Mixtec and Aztecs wore crowns and pendants of turquoise as amulets of good fortune and long life. Native Americans had as many different words for turquoise as there were languages spoken. However, many of the words translated into English as the "sky stone," evoking the sky-blue shade of the stone most commonly found. Native Americans had been working turquoise mines with stone mauls and antler picks for centuries before the arrival of the Europeans. Most often, in the Southwest, the stone was carved into beads (heishi), fetishes, or overlaid onto wood, bone, or shell. The use of silver as a mounting for turquoise dates no earlier than ca 1890. The Spanish brought to the Southwest their knowledge of silver and silversmithing. This was combined with Native American lapidary technology to produce a turquoise jewelry tradition that lives today. Native American jewelry, whether traditional or contemporary, is the harmonious melding of separate but complementary art forms. If you believe, as Native Americans believe, that the earth is alive, then all things, no matter how small or apparently inanimate, are precious. To the Native American, Turquoise is Life. In the modern age, there is still this primal recognition of life-giving rock: the smooth stones that lie in streams, the clear quartz that juts from limestone, the humble stone found on a walk, the little black pebble lying mysteriously on the path to your door. There are stones medicine men keep in their sacred bundles because they possess powers of healing. There is the stone that comes to you in dreams and the magic ring you wear on your finger. These rocks and stones are alive and give forth energy to those who wear and hold them. Stones and crystals have unique attributes that support and heal us. Turquoise, especially, is known for its positive healing energy, an aid in mental functions, communication and _expression and as a protector. If you're wearing a turquoise ring and you look down and see a crack in your stone, the Indians would say "the stone took it," meaning the stone took the blow that you would have received. FORMS AND COLORS OF TURQUOISE Turquoise stone is a hydrous basic phosphate of copper and aluminum which is formed as water trickles through a host stone for about 30 million years, gradually leaving a deposit. It can be formed as nuggets It can be deposited in cracks in rocks which form vein turquoise. Thin pieces of fine turquoise too thin to be cut alone are backed with an epoxy cement mixture which strengthens the stone and makes it much less likely to break and easier to cut. Many times the gems are small nuggets or tiny vein pieces. Without backing, they would not be usable. The presence of sky and water inside a stone is indeed miraculous, a piece of heaven on earth, a round ripple of water inside the hard dry pebble. In the mineral world, geologists will tell you, these elements do intermingle. The sky comes down to earth and enters stone. Oxygen mixes with andesite, augite, feldspar, kaolin clay, aluminum, and traces of copper. In time, turquoise grains and crystals grow. The stone holds moisture. If turquoise dries out in sunlight, it will even change color, from bright blue to leaf green. The elements found in turquoise are present in seaweed, hay, eggs and feathers. The Color of Turquoise can vary greatly within the same mine. If the mix has more copper, the turquoise will be colored in the blue range; if more aluminum, in the green to white range. The addition of zinc yields a yellow-green color and hardens the stone even more. The yellow-green color has been found so far only in Carico Lake, Damali, and Orvil Jack turquoise from Nevada. In many cases, stones from one mine resemble very closely those from another mine and can be virtually impossible for an expert, or lapidary, to tell the difference. No one should say that stones from a certain mine are all one color. Turquoise can also come in varying grades and the higher-quality is generally harder with very little porosity and will not change color by absorbing oil and grease. Usually, however, stones of a lighter color have a tendency to be softer and more porous, and will change color with wear. Years of wear and gentle magic of skin oils can perfect the patina of the combination of gorgeous, rich colors in turquoise and make them glow Other colors that appear in a turquoise stone come from the host stone that the turquoise formed in, and are called "matrix." The host rock can be rust-colored, black, brown or be darker shades of green or blue. A black matrix is usually from iron pyrite; a gold-brown matrix from iron oxide, and a yellow to brown matrix from rhyolite. Matrix that is thin and evenly spaced over the surface of the stone is commonly known as "spider web" matrix. Spider web matrix usually enhances the collectibility and value of turquoise. Turquoise is set throughout the world, with the exception of the Southwest, in gold. Because yellow gold forms a quite different background for blue stones than does silver, light blue stones are favored for finer pieces, stones often so pale that they are not wanted by workers in silver. Most Persian Turquoise, set at very high prices, is pale and almost always set in gold. It is impossibly hard to find enough Gem-Grade Turquoise to set in gold on a large scale as it is so rare, much rarer than diamonds. Only 1/10 of one percent of all the Turquoise mined is of a high enough grade that can be set in gold. First and foremost, the 'best' color of turquoise is largely a matter of personal choice. Most turquoise authorities in the world would agree that the ideal color for turquoise is called "Royal Blue". It is the most vivid and intense of all shades. Some mines, even good mines, may never produce a single carat of it. Other mines may yield only a few ounces of it in thousands of pounds of normally high-grade material. There is also new evidence that suggests the Green shades were highly prized by the Navajo. THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF TURQUOISE AVAILABLE
There has been such a big demand for turquoise, the supply has not been able to satisfy the demand. This has created a problem. Someone discovered that soft, light colored turquoise soaked in a liquid plastic would produce a material of deeper color when the plastic hardened, somewhat like the better grade of turquoise. This was nothing new as it was done with animal fat and tallow thousands of years ago, not with the plastic permanence, but with the same effect. The words treated and stabilized are synonymous. They describe the same type process, and there are several, for impregnating soft porous turquoise with liquid plastic and hardening or stabilizing it. One of the newer processes being used today is called 'enhancing'. This process actually bombards the turquoise with electrical energy, intensifying its hardness and color. The actual chemical structure does not change, as opposed to stabilizing with plastic. NATURAL turquoise means a stone with no alteration to its composition. Such stones are merely polished and cut into shapes before being mounted in jewelry. Natural turquoise remains porous, as all natural stone is to varying degrees, and may tend to change color over time as it is worn and handled. STABILIZED turquoise means that the natural mineral has been chemically altered to harden the stone, usually by infusing epoxy or polystyrene into the porous surface of the stone. The stabilization process serves to "freeze" the color of the stone so it will not change. MINING FOR TURQUOISE Turquoise in the U.S. today is predominately mined in the states of Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico, with Nevada the leader in production. Some of the most rare and expensive turquoise varieties are Lander Blue, Bisbee, Blue Gem,HitMan, Carico Lake, and Cerrillos. Because the U.S. mines are mostly depleted or already closed, turquoise from other parts of the world, particularly Tibet, is also used by Native Americans to make jewelry. Turquoise deposits, with few exceptions, are not massive and often productive mines return good earnings for a few months or years and then the deposits are depleted, the vein pinches out or the pocket is exhausted. Years often pass during which a mine lies unworked. Then, as has often occurred, a new owner buys or leases the claim and reactivates the workings. Most turquoise mining operations are very small, some as small as one family. The mining sites, of course, are very isolated, and living and working conditions are primitive and sometimes dangerous. One advantage modern miners have over previous miners, who worked with hand tools, is a gas generator. To this the miner hooks up a saw with a diamond cutting blade and a machine with a grinding wheel. Using water to cool the cutting blade, the miner cuts away chunks of host stone to get to the turquoise vein. Refined extraction and shaping of the turquoise is done with the grinding wheel. Final shaping is done and some of the the pieces are backed by epoxy to form a cabochon, a cut and polished stone ready for setting. The epoxy backing helps to protect the stone against chipping and breaking when it is set in silver jewelry and worn. This is all very labor intensive and time consuming. Initiating a larger-scale mining operation for turquoise today requires an immense amount of commitment, equipment and money running into the millions of dollars. Due to environmental regulations, bonds are required to be put up that will guarantee that the surrounding area will be returned to its natural state when the mining operation is finished. It can become so complicated and costly (with no guarantee of return) that few people are mining for turquoise on a large scale today. TURQUOISE MINES AJAX TURQUOISE
The small Ajax mine, located in south central Nevada in the Royston area, is one of the relatively new turquoise mines. The mine yields stones from light blue with darker blue veins to a predominate dark green with light blue areas. This latter coloration is considered quite unusual for turquoise. BISBEE TURQUOISE
The Bisbee mine, near Bisbee, Arizona, is one of the more famous of the American mines because Bisbee turquoise was one of the first put onto the market. The turquoise mine is part of the Bisbee copper mine, the main operation of the site. Bisbee turquoise has developed a reputation as a hard, finely webbed, high blue stone. Most of this turquoise has already been mined, and it is one of the most highly collectible stones. Read and see more about Bisbee... BLUE DIAMOND TURQUOISE
The Blue Diamond Mine, south of Austin, Nevada produces a very hard light to deep blue turquoise, with an attractive swirl or mottled pattern of light and dark blues. It has brown to black matrix resembling a stormy pattern not unlike light and dark clouds being blown around in a blue sky. The mine is located at a high altitude and cannot be mined in the winter months due to the extreme cold and snow. CARICO LAKE TURQUOISE
Carico Lake turquoise is named after the location of its mine on a dried up lake bed in a high, cool area of Lander County, Nevada. Its clear, iridescent, spring green color is due to its zinc content and is highly unique and collectible. Carico Lake turquoise is also found in a dark blue-green color with a black, spider web matrix. The Carico Lake mine is primarily a gold producing mine. However, from time to time, the mining company leases the turquoise producing part of the mine to individual miners who are permitted to work that part. The limited amount of Carico Lake turquoise and the limited amount of time allowed to mine it combine to make Carico Lake turquoise a valuable addition to one's collection. CERRILLOS TURQUOISE
Cerrillos is not only an uncommon and unique form of native New Mexican turquoise, but has a history entwined with both ancient Native peoples of the Southwest and more recent American mining companies. Cerrillos turquoise was created and mined under unusual circumstances. It is the only turquoise that formed at the base of a volcano. Thus, a variety of colors developed from the minerals in the various volcanic host stones. In fact, seventy-five colors have been identified, from tan to khaki-green to rich, blue-green to bright and light colors. Cerrillos is a very hard stone and so takes a brilliant polish. In addition to producing a distinctive stone, the Cerrillos mine is the oldest mine of any kind in North America. Located ten miles south of Santa Fe, it was the site of the largest prehistoric mining activity on the continent because the huge turquoise deposit was partially exposed at the surface. Miners from the San Marcos Pueblo, who later moved to Santo Domingo Pueblo south of Santa Fe, most heavily worked the mine. Using only stone axes, mauls, antler picks, and chisels, Pueblo miners removed 100,000 tons of solid rock to create a pit mine 200 feet deep. They dug other vertical shafts into the ground to reach veins of turquoise. Miners carried tools and leather rock buckets on their backs as they climbed in and out of the shafts using notched logs as ladders. The turquoise obtained from this hard work traded among early peoples from Mexico to the Midwest and from the east to west coasts. In New Mexico, many pieces of Cerrillos turquoise for personal and trade use have been unearthed in the prehistoric ruins of Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon. The Pueblo peoples continued to extract turquoise from the Cerrillos mine until the 1870's when a silver mining boom raised interest in the area. The Tiffany Company in New York and its associates bought up the mine area and extracted $2,000,000 worth of turquoise between 1892 and 1899. *HITMAN TURQUOISE (Very Very Very Rare) This source of Turquoise is considered to have been formed in a very unusual manner. The Turquoise occurs as vein fillings and nodules in a 7 meter thick shale unit within the Laborcita Formation (upper Pennsylvanian to lower Permian). The most unusual feature of this deposit is the association of abundant gypsum and halite with the Turquoise. Most of the Turquoise is Sky Blue with Nice Spider Web patterns. Solid clean nuggets are sometimes encountered. Due to the limited amount of this Very Rare Turquoise and the fact that it is Hand Mined only, making Hitman Turquoise Extremely valuable and Very Very Very Collectable. DAMELE TURQUOISE
The damele mine is located thirty miles from Austin, Nevada. Damele turquoise is distinctive because it is one of the few turquoises that is truly yellow-green, either from iron or environmental conditions, but without zinc. The matrix of damele is webbed with a dark brown to black matrix. its availability is limited because the mine is small. Due to its rare color and quality, damele is a collectible turquoise. DRY CREEK TURQUOISE
The Dry Creek mine, which has also been known as the Godber and Burnham mine is a creamy pastel-blue and blue-white turquoise, very hard, gemmy and available only in very small quantities. The unusual whitish-blue turquoise is very hard, the color due to a preponderance of aluminum rather than copper in the stone's chemistry. (They also find a white stone at this deposit that is mistaken as 'white turquoise.' This is actually Aluminite.) The matrix in Dry Creek Turquoise is typically light golden or brown-gray to gray-black. This turquoise is beautiful alone in a piece of jewelry and is especially striking when juxtaposed with other colors of turquoise in a single creation. KINGMAN TURQUOISE
Kingman Turquoise comes as a by-product from a large open-pit copper mine in the Mineral Park Mining District, northwest of Kingman, Arizona. It was mined first by Indians many years before the Europeans came to America and later by a number of individuals and companies. New franchised miners and dealers sell the turquoise commercially. Although there are quantities of fine deep blue turquoise available, a large percentage of that mined in being treated or stabilized. The colors run from light blue to very dark blue with some tints of green. The matrix is from light brown to black and frequently flecked with pyrite. In the past, some of the medium to good quality stones changed color sometime after being cut. It seems that the good quality being produced now is fairly color stable. LONE MOUNTAIN TURQUOISE
The Lone Mountain turquoise mine near Tonopah, Nevada was one of the leading producers of fine turquoise in Nevada. It was discovered by Lee Hand in 1920 and filed under the name of Blue Jay Mining Lode. At first it was called the Blue Jay Mine on Lone Mountain and later just Lone Mountain. It is presently closed. As with most mines it was at first a tunnel and shaft project but when Menless Winfield bought the mine it was made an open pit operation. The turquoise from this mine is mostly good to high-grade and usually in the form of nuggets although there is a quantity of vein material. A very interesting occurrence of turquoise found here is a condition where the turquoise was deposited in cavities or molds left when parts of fossil plants were dissolved out of a harder rock. The turquoise is graded into golden matrix, black matrix and spider web. At present, most of it is cut and polished or the nuggets drilled and polished at the mine and very little rough is sold. Very collectible turquoise. MORENCI TURQUOISE
Morenci Turquoise is mined in southeastern Arizona. It is high to light blue in color. Morenci has an unusual matrix of irregular black pyrite that, when polished, often looks like silver. Morenci turquoise is well known because it was one of the first American turquoises to come on the market. It is very difficult to obtain now because the mine is depleted. It is a collectible turquoise. NUMBER EIGHT TURQUOISE
The Number 8 Turquoise mine in Eureka county, north of Carlin, Nevada, was discovered in 1925 and first mined in 1929. At present, the mine is closed and considered depleted. The mine produced some of the largest nuggets of turquoise ever discovered. Almost all the turquoise produced is of the spider web-type, with the matrix varying from golden brown to black. The colors grade from very light blue to very dark blue, some with interesting hints of green. Very collectible turquoise. ORVIL JACK / BLUE RIDGE TURQUOISE
Orvil Jack discovered and developed the mine in the northern Nevada known as Crescent Valley that bears his name. This mine is actually two mines: when the blue turquoise is mined, it is called the "Blue Ridge Turquoise Mine." When the yellow-green 'faustite' is mined, it is referred to as "Orvil Jack Turquoise." The rare yellow-green color of the turquoise comes from the zinc content. Mr. Jack is now deceased, but his daughter Grace Jack Wintle continues to manage and work the mine. Only a small amount is now being produced, and the turquoise is considered very collectible due to its rare color and scarcity. PILOT MOUNTAIN TURQUOISE
The Pilot Mountain mine is located in northern Nevada. It is still producing and is worked by one family. The stone is highly admires for its deep blue-green colors. In addition, it can show light blue to dark green colors on the same stone. This graduation in color is unusual and makes the turquoise very collectible. The matrix is black to golden brown. Pilot Mountain is a hard stone and takes a good polish. ROYSTON TURQUOISE
Royston is a district in Nevada consisting of three turquoise mines: Bunker Hill, Oscar Wehrend, and the main producer, Royal Blue. Royston is known for its beautiful colors ranging from deep green to rich, light blues set off by a heavy brown matrix. The Royston mine is not producing anymore and is a very collectible turquoise. THE VALUE OF TURQUOISEDown through the ages and especially now, fine gems and jewelry have been a commodity more stable than money. In other words it is and always has been a good investment. We must realize that turquoise is a finite resource, one that is becoming more rare every day, more so than diamonds or gold and its value will only go up. There are no bargains in top quality turquoise. Why is natural American turquoise a good and enjoyable investment?
Romance: Natural American turquoise has the longest known history of human use and enjoyment of any gemstone in North America. It is part of the intercultural weave of the Southwest, being valued by Native American, Spanish and English-speaking cultures.
Rarity: The smaller the mine and/or the less available today, the more valuable the turquoise. Examples of especially rare turquoises include Cerrillos,HitMan, Blue Gem and Lander Blue.
Character: A turquoise has character A main general rule in evaluating the price of a turquoise jewelry piece (or specimen) is to establish the excellence of color and that hard-to-describe heavenly quality that reveals the Life in the Stone. Next is the shape and setting. The size of a single piece, or the total weight of the related pieces, increases not only the price but also the value of the aggregate. Finished turquoise gem stones are bought and sold in the trade by the carat - a unit of weight equal to 5 carats per gram. Price per carat of workable stones can run from thiry cents per carat to as well over a hundred dollars per carat for extra fine specimen pieces. Turquoise and silver jewelry is a pleasure to wear and enjoy and most pieces just get better with the years. We're happy to be able to share our enthusiasm for the sky stone with you and hope you find the same enjoyment with it as we do. Your appreciation for your turquoise will only increase as it becomes 'yours' and takes on your spirit and energy.
|
|
|
|