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Rough Turquoise and Variscite
Turquoise is a copper oxide, often occurring in
or near copper deposits. The color depends upon the amounts of
copper and iron, which will determine whether it is a more blue
or green colour. Many of the turquoises listed below come from
locations here in the United States, making them rare, as many
mines throughout the US have been closed down for quite some time.
Please see individual item descriptions for origin and characteristics.
Different grades are almost always available, so if you don't
see what you want, be sure to contact
us. Click on the Turquoise
Name to see more about the Domestic
Turquoise Mines. Note that most rough turquoise
has been spritzed with water to show look when polished.
Also, don't miss our cabochons
and beads, ready to
set or string, finished turquoise
jewelry and rare specimens
for your collection!
Please contact us for
quantity prices on any of the materials listed below. For items
sold by the ounce or gram, please change the quantity you would
like to receive in the shopping cart.
Domestic
Turquoise Varieties |
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“Bisbee
Blue” is a name that originates from the Bisbee Mine,
near Bisbee, Arizona, in Cochise County, USA. The term refers
to the turquoise that comes from copper mines in this region.
Turquoise from Bisbee has a reputation as a hard, finely webbed
stone with high blue color, ranging from sky blue to a dark
lavender blue. The matrix patterns vary a great deal, but
can be characterized by the deep chocolate brown to black
webbing. The hardness is 4.5 on the mohs scale. More
on Bisbee Turquoise
Add
to Cart: $8.00 gm
Higher
qualities of Bisbee turquoise avalilable for up to $25.00
gm |
 |
Blue
Gem turquoise is a rare, valuable and historic American treasure.
Quality Blue Gem Turquoise has been gifted with a wide range
and variety of color, from a beautiful sky blue to an aqua
blue-green, not unlike parts of the Mediterranean Sea. Because
Blue Gem turquoise is very hard, a high polish is associated
with this stone, and unlike most turquoise, it won't easily
change color. This turquoise has a unique character and many
different looks all of which are striking, full of wonder
and pleasing to the eye. More
on Blue Gem Turquoise
Add
to cart $8.00 gm
|
 |
Carico
Lake turquoise is named after the location of its mine, located
on a dried up lake bed in a high, cool area of Lander County,
Nevada. It’s 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 as well
as a blue-green color with 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 time allowed to mine
Carico Lake turquoise and the limited amount of turquoise
yielded, combine to make Carico Lake turquoise a valuable
addition to one's collection. More
on Carico Lake Turquoise
Other
qualities available on request
Add
to Cart: $8.00 gm |
 |
AAA Grade
Add
To Cart $15.00 gm
Higher
qualities of Carico Select turquoise avalilable for
up to $20.00 gm |
 |
Add
To Cart: $3.00 gm |
 |
Cripple
Creek turquoise comes from the Cripple Creek mining area,
located in Teller County Colorado, near the town of Cripple
Creek. This is a very hard stone with colour range from light
and dark blues with brown matrix, and more rarely a golden
limonite matrix to blue-green. Hardness can be up to 6 mohs.
The best use over all is for inlay and cabbing, although the
medium quality is often a little pithy or porous, the result
of which does not become visible until the end of the polishing
process. This turquoise, like Carico Lake turquoise, is found
as a by product of gold mining. This stone is found as both
vein material and nodules. More
on Cripple Creek Turquoise
Add
to Cart: $2.00 gm |
 |
The Damale
mine is extraordinarily versatile, it’s colors ranging
from pure lime-green through bright chartreuse; it can also
be yellow with black webbing, or white, orange and brown,
or even a caramel color with bright green polka dots. The
mine also produces small black nuggets with bright yellow-green
bumps poking out of the black matrix. Its availability is
extremely limited because the mine is small and difficult
to work. Due both to its limited quantity as well as its rare
color and quality, turquoise from the Damale mine is an exceedingly
collectible. More
on Damale Turquoise
Add
to Cart: $3.00 gm
Higher
qualities of Damale turquoise avalilable for up to $12.00
gm ,
please inquire for
more info.
|
 |
Evans
Origin
is Baja California, Mexico. Colour range is sky blues.
Hardness is 4.5 mohs with best uses in inlay, cabbing and
carving.
Add
to Cart: $3.00 gm |
 |
Kingman
Turquoise originates in the Mineral Park Mining District near
Kingman, Arizona. One of the largest domestic turquoise mines,
it is found in a large open pit copper mine in the high desert
country. The Kingman Mine district was first mined by Native
Americans; it was part of the most extensive prehistoric workings
in Arizona. However, modern production of turquoise dates
back to the 1880's when James Haas rediscovered the area.
Natural Kingman Turquoise ranges in color from light to very
dark blue and sometimes tints of green. Matrix can range from
white, light brown to black and frequently flecked with pyrite
and occasionally quartz. The most famous stones from this
mine are rounded bright blue nuggets with black matrix. Few
turquoise mines produced nuggets, especially of this quality.
In its high-grade form it has always been considered among
the top quality American turquoise. This high blue color has
become a “color standard” in the industry, reflected
by the name “Kingman Blue”. More
on Kingman Turquoise
Add
to cart $2.00 gm |
 |
Morenci
Turquoise is mined in southeastern Arizona, in Greenlee County.
It is light blue to high blue in color. Morenci has an unusual
matrix of irregular black pyrite, or fool’s gold; when
polished, the pyrite often looks like silver. It also is sometimes
webbed in a darker shade of blue, called water webbed. Morenci
turquoise is well known because it was one of the first American
turquoises to come on the modern market, and is often difficult
to obtain because the mine is now depleted, making it an exceedingly
collectible turquoise. More
on Morenci Turquoise
Add
To Cart $4.00 gm
Higher
qualities of Morenci turquoise avalilable for up to $12.00
gm
|
 |
The origin
of the Fox mine is near Lander County, Nevada. While indigenous
people found large nuggets in this area in prehistoric times,
the area was first discovered for contemporary mining purposes
in the early 1900’s. In the 1940's, Dowell Ward purchased
& developed the old Cortez claims. Turquoise from this
mine comes under several different names including Fox, White
Horse, Green Tree and Smith, to differentiate the different
deposits and colors and to create a larger perceived share
of the turquoise market. Color range is from a soft sky blues,
sometimes with a subtle water-marked matrix, to blue-green
to green. Hardness is 4.5.
More on Fox Turquoise
Add
to Cart: $3.00 gm |
 |
The Pilot
Mountain mine is located in northern Nevada. It is still producing
and is worked by one family. The stone 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. Although sometimes a
little porous, or pithy, Pilot Mountain is a hard stone and
takes a good polish.
More on Pilot Mountain Turquoise
Add
to Cart: $2.00 gm |
 |
Royston
is a district in Nevada consisting of three turquoise mines:
Bunker Hill, Oscar Wehrend, and the main producer, The Royal
Blue. Royston is known for its beautiful colors ranging from
deep green to rich, light blues which are set off by a heavy
brown matrix. The Royston mine is producing a little high
grade turquoise today, operated by the Ottison family. They
process most of their material into finished cabs and allow
very little rough to come onto the market. This controlled
output has raised the price of this material considerably
in recent years. More
on Royston Turquoise.
Add
to Cart: $4.00 gm
Higher
qualities of Royston turquoise avalilable for up to $7.00
gm |
 |
The Sleeping
Beauty mine located in Globe, Arizona is an active mine producing
a wide range of turquoise that is highly prized for it's solid
soft blue color, with little or no matrix. The color of the
turquoise ranges from a deep royal blue to a light sky blue.
The mine originally was worked for copper and gold but during
the last four decades it has produced gemstone quality turquoise
in quantities to satisfy the commercial market. In general,
the miners lease portions of the “dumps” and sort
turquoise from there. More
on Sleeping Beauty Turquoise
Add
to Cart: $1.25 gm
|
 |
The Sleeping
Beauty mine located in Globe, Arizona is an active mine producing
a wide range of turquoise that is highly prized for it's solid
soft blue color, with little or no matrix. The color of the
turquoise ranges from a deep royal blue to a light sky blue.
The mine originally was worked for copper and gold but during
the last four decades it has produced gemstone quality turquoise
in quantities to satisfy the commercial market. In general,
the miners lease portions of the “dumps” and sort
turquoise from there. More
on Sleeping Beauty Turquoise
Add
to Cart: $2.00 gm |
 |
The Sleeping
Beauty mine located in Globe, Arizona is an active mine producing
a wide range of turquoise that is highly prized for it's solid
soft blue color, with little or no matrix. The color of the
turquoise ranges from a deep royal blue to a light sky blue.
The mine originally was worked for copper and gold but during
the last four decades it has produced gemstone quality turquoise
in quantities to satisfy the commercial market. In general,
the miners lease portions of the “dumps” and sort
turquoise from there. More
on Sleeping Beauty Turquoise
Add
to Cart: $3.00 gm
Higher
grades on request
|
 |
The Sleeping
Beauty mine located in Globe, Arizona is an active mine producing
a wide range of turquoise that is highly prized for it's solid
soft blue color, with little or no matrix. The color of the
turquoise ranges from a deep royal blue to a light sky blue.
The mine originally was worked for copper and gold but during
the last four decades it has produced gemstone quality turquoise
in quantities to satisfy the commercial market. In general,
the miners lease portions of the “dumps” and sort
turquoise from there. More
on Sleeping Beauty Turquoise
Add
to Cart: $5.00 gm |
 |
The Sleeping
Beauty mine located in Globe, Arizona is an active mine producing
a wide range of turquoise that is highly prized for it's solid
soft blue color, with little or no matrix. The color of the
turquoise ranges from a deep royal blue to a light sky blue.
The mine originally was worked for copper and gold but during
the last four decades it has produced gemstone quality turquoise
in quantities to satisfy the commercial market. In general,
the miners lease portions of the “dumps” and sort
turquoise from there. More
on Sleeping Beauty Turquoise
Add
to cart $1.00 gm |
 |
Stabilized.
Mixed Green and Blue
Origin
is United States. Colour range is blues and blue-greens.
Hardness is 4.5 mohs with best uses in inlay, cabbing, and
carving.
Add
to Cart: $10.00 oz |
 |
Turquoise
Sand, Mixed Variety
Various
origins. Clolour range is sky blues and blue-greens
with occasional bits of coral, sugilite, charoite, hematite
and other gemstones. Finish is tumbled. Hardness
is 4.5 mohs with best uses in inlay, bead-making, fountains,
aquariums and in display cases.
Add
to Cart: $1.00 gm |
Chinese
Turquoise Varieties |
 |
Chinese
A-Grade Blue with Extra Fine Spiderweb
Origin
is Hubei Province in China. Colour range is sky blues
with black matrix. Hardness is 4.5 mohs with best uses
in inlay, cabbing and carving.
Add
to Cart: $7.00 gm |
 |
Chinese
Spiderweb, A-Grade Blue/Green
Origin
is Hubei Province in China. Colour range is blue-green
with black matrix. Hardness is 4.5 mohs with best uses
in inlay, cabbing and carving.
Add
To Cart $3.00 gm
Higher
qualities of Blue-Green Chinese Spiderweb turquoise
avalilable for up to $6.00 gm |
 |
Chinese
Spiderweb, A-Grade Green
Origin
is Hubei Province in China. Colour range is green with
black matrix. Hardness is 4.5 mohs with best uses in
inlay, cabbing and carving.
Add
To Cart: $2.00 gm |
 |
Maanshan,
Emerald Valley Green
Origin
is China. Colour range is greens to blue greens.
Hardness is 4.5 mohs with best uses in inlay, cabbing and
carving.
Add
to Cart: $2.00 gm |
 |
Maanshan,
Blue
Origin
is China. Colour range is blue. Hardness is 4.5
mohs with best uses in inlay, cabbing and carving.
Add
to Cart: $3.00 gm |
Domestic
Variscite Varieties
Variscite
is called a "cousin" of turquoise with slight difference
in chemical make-up. There are several varieties available
with color from a range of greens to blues with greens and
spiderweb. |
 |
Candelaria
Spiderweb Variscite
This
Variscite from Nevada, USA has colour in a range of greens
and sometimes yellows, generally with distinct spiderwebbing.
It has a Mohs hardness of 5-6 and is a great material for
carving or cabbing, bead making and inlay.
Add
To Cart $3.00 gm
Higher
qualities of Candelaria Spiderweb Variscite avalilable
for up to $3.00 gm |
 |
Damali
Mine Variscite
This
Variscite from Utah, USA has colour in various shades of greens
from lime to kahki and usually forms in botryoidal nuggets.
It had a Mohs hardness of 6 and is a great material for carving
or cabbing, and inlay due to its hardness.
A Grade
$10.00 gm Add
to cart
B Grade
$7.00 gm Add
To Cart
C Grade
$4.00 gm Add
to cart |
 |
Nevada
Green Variscite
This
Variscite from Nevada, USA has colour in a range of greens
from light green to deep rich dark green. It has a Mohs
hardness of 4 and is a great material for cabbing, inlay or
bead-making.
$1.25
gm Add
To Cart |
 |
Utah
Green Variscite
This
Variscite from Utah, USA has colour in a range of greens.
It has a Mohs hardness of 5 and is a great material
for cabbing, inlay or bead-making.
$0.65gm
Add
To Cart |
 |
Australian
Variscite
$1.25
gm Add
to cart |
|
|
