Turquoise group minerals have been found abundantly in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Georgia, Alabama and Arkansas.
What states are turquoise found in?
Turquoise has been mined all over North America for hundreds of years, but its richest deposits have always been found primarily in the southwestern states of Arizona and Nevada. California has also been a popular source of the opaque blue gemstone over the years, with mines found in San Bernardino and Inyo Counties.
What state has the most turquoise?
Nevada has been the leading producer for American turquoise for some time. Turquoise is primarily made up of copper, so it’s not a big surprise to find there are also a lot of copper mines in both Arizona and Nevada.
Where is the best place to find turquoise?
Mines in Arizona
Arizona is probably considered as the richest state in the West for its reserves of turquoise. One can find several turquoise mines in the region of Arizona where the world’s best quality mineral is found.
Where are gemstones found in Alabama?
Counties such as Coosa, Madison, Clay, Cleburne, or Jackson contain deposits of different gemstones such as star blue quartz (the state’s official gemstone), garnets, tourmaline, beryl, agates, emerald, or jasper.
What rock is turquoise found in?
Turquoise commonly occurs in veinlets penetrating weathered, aluminum – rich, sedimentary or volcanic rocks (where it has been deposited near the surface from circulating phosphatic waters) in arid climates, and in small, fine-grained, rounded masses and crusts.
Where can I hunt for turquoise?
Jade Cove Trail (Big Sur, California)
Jade Cove Trail is located near the southern end of the central California coastline known as Big Sur. The trail is somewhat steep and popular for its colorful blue-green cliff walls.
How can you tell if a rock is turquoise?
The most effective way to identify real Turquoise is to do the scratch test. Howlite or other materials fake Turquoise is made from are softer stones than genuine Turquoise. Lightly use your nail to scratch a less visible part of the stone like the backside and if it scratches easily, it’s howlite.
What is raw turquoise worth?
The price of turquoise stones normally range from $1 to $10 per carat but can range from $0.05 to $1000 per carat depending on the quality.
How much is a pound of turquoise worth?
The medium quality turquoise usually costs $3 – 5 per carat, which is $15 – 25 per gram, $450 – 750 per ounce, $6795 – 11350 per pound. Gem-quality turquoise price can reach up to $1000 per carat ($5000 per gram). Turquoise value is rarely expressed in pounds, as such an amount of solid gem material is rare.
What does turquoise look like in its natural state?
Turquoise luster is typically waxy to subvitreous, and its transparency is generally opaque, but in thin parts it may be semitranslucent. Color is as variable as the other characteristics of the mineral, varying from white to a blue powder to a purple sky, and from a green blue to a green yellow.
Is turquoise rarer than diamonds?
By definition of rarity (not market size) turquoise is rarer than diamonds. Diamonds deserve their place in the world of gemstones as a commerce gemstone. They are an easy gemstone and subject to learn about and grade.
Which turquoise is most valuable?
Persian blue
Blue Turquoise
The most-prized turquoise color is an even, intense, medium blue, sometimes referred to as robin’s egg blue or sky blue in the trade. The traditional source for this color is the Nishapur district of Iran, so you’ll also hear it described as “Persian blue,” whether or not it was actually mined in Iran.
Is there any gold in Alabama?
Gold found in Alabama comes from lode and placer sources. Much of Alabama’s gold has been produced at Hog Mountain and the Hillabee mine. Both hardrock areas, they are credited with more than 25,000 ounces. Gold is found in lode form and most is recovered by the cyanide heap leaching.
What is the official gemstone of Alabama?
Star Blue Quartz
Alabama Gemstone
Such quartz often includes traces of other minerals picked up by water flowing underground. The Star Blue Quartz became the state gemstone in 1990 by Act no. 90-203.
What is the most common rock in Alabama?
Most of the state is covered with sedimentary rocks, with exposures of igneous and metamorphic rocks being confined to the east-central part of the state. Alabama minerals vary from common rock-forming minerals such as clay, calcite, and quartz to precious metals such as gold.
What happens when turquoise gets wet?
Turquoise is a compound that includes metals such as aluminum, copper or iron. Water and oil can cause some of these metals to oxidize, or in other words rust. As a result of oxidation, the stones can actually change color.
How can you tell raw turquoise?
Perform the acetone test by wiping the stone in a discrete place with a paper towel soaked in acetone. If easily scratched material doesn’t bleed color it’s most likely turquoise, while dyed howlite will change the color of the paper towel.
What is green turquoise called?
Lime Green Turquoise, Calcosiderite or Variscite has been found near Tonopah Nevada at the Royston Mine, Blue Gem Mine, Tortoise Mine, Miss Moffet Mine, Damele Mine and very small deposits have been found in various other Mines in Nevada.
Is White Buffalo turquoise real turquoise?
White Buffalo, although technically not turquoise, is often referred to as turquoise due to its discovery in a turquoise mine. The reason behind its illustrious white color is due to its formation by the same mineralization process, “regular” in which turquoise undergoes.
What is a Sleeping Beauty turquoise?
Considered as one of the most important American Mine turquoise in the world, the Sleeping Beauty turquoise is located in Globe, AZ, named after the mountain range where it is located. From a distance, it is said to resemble a sleeping woman with her arms crossed, hence the name.