Learn about your turquoiseRoyston
Kingman
Candelaria
Royston
The Royston mine is the oldest patented mine in Nevada. Situated near Tonopah, Nevada, the Royston turquoise mine is an exceptional source of Turquoise. Since 1902 this family-owned mining claim, operated by the Otteson family, has produced an exquisite array of turquoise colors, spanning from deep green to vibrant blue.
A unique characteristic of many Royston turquoise stones is the presence of both green and blue shades within the same cut, creating a mesmerizing visual effect.
The host rock or matrix found in Royston turquoise often displays deep brown or golden-brown tones, adding to the overall appeal of these stunning stones. Under the careful stewardship of the Otteson family, the Royston Mine continues to produce high-quality, natural turquoise that artists love to work with, and enthusiasts love to collect.
Kingman
The Kingman turquoise mine, operated by the Colbaugh family in Arizona, is the last remaining commercially producing mine in the United States. Evidence suggests turquoise was mined in the surrounding areas dating as far back as 600 AD. Tools like stone hammers were found in the ancient trenches and tunnels running through the hills in 1962.
Considered one of the most popular turquoises in the world, the Kingman turquoise is also one of the easily recognizable American turquoises to enthusiasts and collectors around the globe.
The natural Kingman turquoise produced at this mine is generally medium blue with a "water web" matrix that easily distinguishes it from other turquoise. The best turquoise is a lovely blue with a black web matrix. The Kingman mine also produces a variety of turquoise ranging from pale green to blue with red, brown or yellow matrix.
Candelaria
The Candelaria Turquoise Mine, located in Nevada's Candelaria Mining District, boasts a rich history and is one of the most sought-after sources of high-quality turquoise.
The mine's origins date back to 1863, when it was primarily used for mining silver, copper, and gold.
The finest Candelaria turquoise comes from the Northern Belle open-pit silver mine, which is located in an almost inaccessible part of the mine.
Good Candelaria can have a brown or black spider web matrix with bright blue coloring, while the highest-grade Candelaria displays a glowing dark blue with a burnt reddish-brown spider web matrix. Hence, the name Candelaria means “candle maker.”
The combination of its hardness, rich colors, unique matrix patterns, and scarcity has contributed to a very high demand for this turquoise.
Blue Moon
Golden Hills
Apache Blue
Blue moon
The Blue Moon turquoise mine is one of numerous claims located in the Royston District outside Tonopah, NV. The mine is in Esmerelda County in the Candelaria Hills, within a mile of the famous 'Blue Boy' Mine, north of Columbus Salt Flat and Coaldale Nevada. This mine is located amongst the Miss Moffet Mine, Blue Creek, Broken Arrow, and Blue Jay Nevada turquoise Mines. Blue Moon turquoise can be found in a range of colors from green to dark blue, sometimes with striking yellow accents. The most desirable Blue Moon turquoise is a mid to dark blue color with spectacular black spider web, some of which was found just a couple of years ago. The Otteson family owns the claim. It is infrequently mined which limits its availability and makes it highly sought after.
Golden Hills
Also known as Lavender or Kazakhstan turquoise, is the most chemically pure turquoise and special for many reasons. Discovered in 2013, Golden Hills turquoise comes from a deposit in the Golden Hills mine in Kazakhstan. The stone is a light blue color with a matrix that can be anywhere from deep lavender to deep reds or browns. The Golden Hills mine sits in the hills of Kazakhstan where this turquoise is typically only mined for two months in the winter during the freezing cold and snow. Miners often descend into the mine via ladders during snow blizzards. They can’t mine it in the summer because of flooding in the area. Location and mining conditions make this gemstone very rare.
Apache Blue Turquoise
Owned by Otteson’s, Apache Blue Turquoise mine is located on the west side of the Toiyabe Range several miles north of Austin, in Lander County, Nevada. Apache Blue is a classic American turquoise mine that has produced some of the most highly collected turquoise on earth. Apache turquoise is known for its dark, dark blues and pinpoint blue web turquoise set against the black matrix. Production at this mine is minimal, thus increasing its collectability and value.
Number 8
Sierra Nevada
Sonoran Mountain
Number 8
In Eureka county, north of Carlin, Nevada, the mine was discovered in 1925 and first mined in 1929. It has been one of the more productive turquoise mines in Nevada. Historically, the mine produced some of the largest nuggets of turquoise ever discovered, including one over 150 pounds in weight. In the 1960’s gold was discovered in the rocks surrounding the mine. In the late 1980s and 1990s, the Number 8 area was excavated out as a part of the Blue Star open pit gold mine. The place where the mine was is now a large hole in the ground. During the excavation of the Blue Star gold pit, a 12 inch wide vein of solid spiderweb turquoise was discovered in 1990. Only one large 25 pound nugget/vein section was saved from this discovery. Because the mining company was only interested in the gold content of the ores, all the rest of the turquoise excavated in this operation went into the mine dump and was buried. Nearly all the turquoise which was produced at the No. 8 is of the spider web-type, with the matrix varying from golden brown to black. Much of the material was of a high quality gem grade. The colors grade from very light blue to very dark blue, some with interesting hints of green. Gem material from this location is a very collectible turquoise – as no more can ever be mined!
There is still quite a bit of #8 turquoise available through collections and other holdings, though much of what is left is chalk material that needs to be stabilized. The best, natural spider web material from the #8 turquoise mine is rare and highly coveted today. The color of Number 8 varies from light blue, blue with shades of green to beautiful dark blue. It is found with a black, golden, red or brown matrix. The classic look of #8 turquoise is light blue with a golden brown spiderweb matrix. The black and red spider web Number 8 turquoise is the rarest and most valuable.
Earl Buffington and Lawrence Springer filed the first formal claim on the property in 1929. Since then the mine has gone through a number of owners which included; Ted Johnson, Doc Wilson, Myron Clark, Lee Hand, the Edgar brothers and Dowell Ward. All are important names in Nevada’s turquoise mining history. The most successful owners were the Edgars (Cutler and Clive Edgar) and Dowell Ward. In the 1950's the Edgars began looking for copper with a bulldozer. And sure enough, they found some copper, but they found something much more interesting, they had uncovered a deposit of some of the finest spider web turquoise ever found in Nevada. The pocket produced more than 1,600 pounds of the very highest-grade turquoise, thousands of pounds of gem grade turquoise, and a ton of chalk.
Sierra Nevada
The Ottesons family operates the Sierra Nevada mine in Nevada. Turquoise is a unique shade of blue, often blue green, that lends its name to all things of this tranquil hue.
Found in the Sierra Nevada mountain range near Tonopah, Nevada.
Like many Nevada turquoise mines, it produces limited quantities, which makes high-quality stones more collectible.
Color: Ranges from soft sky blue to vivid blue-green.
Matrix: The delicate veining often features striking brown, golden, or black matrix patterns that can form spiderwebbing, veins, or ribbon-like streaks and enhances its character..
Unique look: Stones often display a bold contrast between the turquoise and the host rock, giving them a dramatic, eye-catching appearance.
Known for producing both high-grade turquoise cabochons and stabilized material for jewelry use.
Collectors and jewelers prize the high-grade pieces, which show strong color and well-defined webbing.
Popular in Southwestern and Native American jewelry due to its vibrant color and natural patterns.
Since it’s mined in smaller quantities compared to more famous deposits like Kingman or Sleeping Beauty, Sierra Nevada turquoise is considered rarer.
Sonoran Mountain
This turquoise is mined in Mexico near the city of Cananea. This material is relatively new to the industry and is a newer deposit in the Cananea mines. Unlike most turquoise, Sonoran Gold is not mined in veins but as individual nuggets typically found in clay deposits. The material comes in aqua blue, lime green, and a two-tone blue and green color. It features a beautiful golden to brown matrix. The high grade is a beautiful two-tone that fades from baby blue to lime green and features a yellow spider web matrix. The turquoise is soft, and most of it is stabilized or treated with the Zachary process. Once treated, it is extremely durable.
The "Zachary treatment" is a proprietary process used to enhance the quality of turquoise by decreasing its porosity, improving its color and ability to polish, while largely maintaining its natural appearance; this treatment is achieved by exposing the turquoise to a potassium-based solution under an electrical current, essentially mimicking the natural conditions that created high-quality turquoise, and is considered one of the most minimally invasive treatments available for turquoise.
Key points about the Zachary treatment:
No dye or resin:
Unlike some other turquoise treatments, the Zachary process does not involve adding dyes or impregnating the stone with resins, which helps preserve its natural look.
Increased stability:
By reducing porosity, the treatment makes the turquoise less susceptible to absorbing skin oils and other discoloring agents, improving its longevity.
Improved polishing:
The treatment allows for a better polish on the turquoise, enhancing its luster and appearance.
Difficult to identify:
Due to its proprietary nature, identifying Zachary-treated turquoise often requires advanced gemological analysis, primarily looking for increased potassium content in the stone.
Developed by James Zachery:
The process was invented by an electrical engineer named James Zachery, and is often referred to as the "Zachery treatment"
Carico Lake
Morenci
Ithaca Peak
Carico Lake
This mine is located South of Battle Mountain in Lander County, Nevada. The Carico Lake mine is named after an ancient lake bed in Nevada where the material is mined. The mine produces a wide variety of turquoise ranging in color from dark blues to light greens, some with yellow or dark blue "water" webbing. Most sought after is the intense apple green material. Identified as faustite, it is a cousin of turquoise containing more Zinc which causes the color. The Carico Lake turquoise Mine also produces very rare pseudomorph clams that have been fossilized with turquoise. For years miners ignored the green turquoise at Carico Lake as there was no existing market, especially for the candy apple green faustite material. Instead they focused solely on the blue turquoise. It wasn’t until the 1980’s that the ‘apple green’ material came into popularity.
Morenci
Located in Greenlee County in southeastern Arizona, Morenci turquoise is a byproduct of the Morenci copper mine.. From 1956 to 1984, turquoise rights were granted to William "Lucky" Brown, who had an extensive mining career that included working the mine at Villa Grove in Colorado. The Morenci mine produced high quantities and was marketed through family-operated trading posts in New Mexico and Arizona. Lucky retired in 1982, and his sons continued to mine the Turquoise until the lease ended. This mine was a major producer of natural gemstones that were used commercially for years in predominantly Southwestern and Native American Jewelry. For many years heavy-equipment operators at the mine would "lunch box" the high-grade Turquoise out. The March 1977 edition of the “International Turquoise Annual” states, "Many years ago, while mining for copper, workers unearthed a large zone of Turquoise-bearing rock and, realizing its value, began working this zone, neglecting the copper. To ensure copper production continued, the copper company that held the mine at the time took the entire turquoise deposit, which was extensive, and buried it under thousands of tons of waste rock from the pit, and it is still sitting there.” This mine has been closed for dozens of years and thus, Morenci turquoise is considered incredibly rare.
Ithaca Peak
Ithaca Peak turquoise comes from the Cerbat Mountains in Mohave County Arizona. It is part of the Mineral Park mining district and was at one time one of the two main turquoise deposits along with Turquoise Mountain. This claim produced all grades of turquoise, yet, had a large amount of high grade gem turquoise that came out. Ithaca peak turquoise, like Kingman, is typically a beautiful sky blue color but is specifically known for heavier pyrite inclusions. While pyrite is also found in other types of turquoise, it will usually be more of a brassy color in the Ithaca Peak material, which can be helpful in differentiating it from similar stones like Morenci turquoise. Ithaca Peak turquoise is also famous for its deep midnight blue colored gems. The material can go from a "Robin's Egg" blue all the way to a Lapis blue. Looks that are collectible include gems with high percentage of pyrite, black spider web gems, gems with deep blue with pyrite and quartz matrix. The majority of Ithaca Peak turquoise in the market has been stabilized. Natural webbed Ithaca Peak turquoise is considered highly collectible if you can find it.
Bisbee
Pilot Mountain
Turquoise Mountain
Bisbee
Bisbee is a large copper mine located near Bisbee, Arizona owned by Phelps Dodge Mining Company. In the late 1950's, a deposit of turquoise was found in the Lavender Pit region of the Bisbee Mine. Most of this turquoise was hauled off to an area where they dumped their waste and over burdens from the mining project. In 1972, the one and only lease ever given to work the dumps from the Lavendar Pitt was awarded to Mr. Robert Matthews of Durango, Colorado. Bob and his associates worked the dumps hard for approximately two years to recover less than 2,000 pounds of good to excellent quality Bisbee turquoise. Due to mining restrictions and the cost of recovering
Pilot Mountain
Located in Mineral County in west-central Nevada, east of Mina. Originally discovered in 1908 and worked as the Montezuma or Troy Springs mine, it was heavily worked by bulldozers in the 1970s, by a series of small open pits, and was very productive then. There are still active (small) claims worked by the Cordovas, Ottesons, Durango Silver Company (Hartman’s) and Nevada Turquoise Company. The Pilot Mountain Turquoise mine produces a wide variety of colors of Turquoise that are indicative of natural Nevada turquoise. The turquoise from the Pilot Mountain turquoise mine is highly admired 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 turquoise is a hard stone and takes a good polish when it is high-grade. Most Pilot Mountain high-grade material comes in very thin veins.
Turquoise Mountain
Turquoise Mountain turquoise originates from the Turquoise Mountain Mine, located in the Mineral Park Mining District of Mohave County, Arizona, and is known for its distinct color variations, often ranging from blue to green hues with a brown or golden matrix, and intricate veining patterns due to the presence of other minerals like iron and copper within the host rock; making each piece unique; it's considered part of the Kingman mining operations, but marketed separately due to its distinct appearance.
Key points about Turquoise Mountain turquoise:
Location: Cerbat Mountains, Mohave County, Arizona
Color range: Deep blues to lighter blues with greenish hues
Distinctive feature: Intricate webbing patterns, often brown, black, or "water web" (lighter or darker turquoise colored webbing)
Mining district: Part of the Kingman mining operations, but considered a separate deposit
Orvil Jack
Ajax Mine
Sleeping Beauty
Orvil Jack
Discovered and developed the mine in northern Nevada that produces the Lime Green turquoise that bears his name. The mining claims where the deposit is located is called the Blue Ridge in Crescent Valley. Originally Orvil only sought out blue turquoise, and at this time he would have his helpers simply discard the greed turquoise in search of blue. The rare yellow-green color of the turquoise (Faustite and Varasite) comes from the zinc content. Mr. Jack is now deceased, but his daughter Grace continues to manage the mine. Only a small amount is now being produced, and the turquoise is considered very collectible due to its rare color and scarcity.
Ajax Mine
The Ajax Mine is located in Esmeralda County, Nevada. While the Ajax Mine has been known for its unique shades of green turquoise, the ground it occupies has produced almost every color of blue and green turquoise and most matrix patterns, from clear to spiderweb. The mine consists of numerous workings that produce a variety of colors and patterns from each "hole." Over the decades, the main turquoise-producing area of the Ajax has gone by different names as the claims changed hands...from Oriental Blue during the days of Carl Reik and Walter Godber in the 1930's to Blue Gem later on. Today the mining couple of Richard and Helen Shull are still able to produce a small amount of blue and green (and multi-color!) natural turquoise from the Ajax Mine, which is now considered one of the southwest's classic turquoise mines.
Sleeping Beauty
The Sleeping Beauty Mine history began with its storybook name; some say that from a distance the mountain looks like a sleeping woman – and with a little imagination it does. The mountain was named long before it was mined, but once the mine opened it adopted the iconic name.
Sleeping Beauty Mine located in Globe, Arizona is considered to be one of the most important and recognizable of all North American turquoises. Named for Sleeping Beauty Mountain, the stone mined here is not traditionally a hard stone, but is favored by many native artists for its uniform and beautiful sky color. Beloved for its solid blue stone with no matrix, and ranging in color from bright royal blue to pale sky blue. The Sleeping Beauty Mine originally was mined for Gold and Copper before it was closed in the early ’60s but over the last decade it was reopened to mine copper and turquoise. Sleeping Beauty was one of the largest operating mines in North America. Arguably the largest producer of turquoise in the world, the Sleeping Beauty Mine is the largest producer of turquoise in the United States.
Sleeping Beauty stones are some of the most desirable stones produced in the world.
