By the early 1960’s, the demand for Bisbee turquoise was high. Bisbee turquoise comes in many shades of blue with webbing, but the highest quality Bisbee turquoise is dark blue with chocolate brown or red webbing. Today, genuine Bisbee turquoise is rare and highly collectible.
Is Arizona turquoise valuable?
The most sought after varieties of turquoise can be quite rare and valuable, especially because it’s hard to find turquoise without “veins,” or dark streaks. These veins are due to how the stone forms.
What is the rarest form of turquoise?
Lander Blue Spiderweb Turquoise is some of the rarest Turquoise on earth and in high demand, Buyers must beware of impersonators, the highest grade of Chinese Spiderweb Turquoise is often sold as Lander Blue Turquoise, it takes an experienced professional to detect true Lander Blue Turquoise.
Is Arizona turquoise real?
Arizona Turquoise mines are world famous for their beautiful true blue Turquoise. Turquoise is Arizona’s most important gem material. This gem ranks top in value per production and is the most widely known of Arizona’s gemstones.
Can you still find turquoise in Arizona?
Also get permission from any land owners before hunting on private property. In Arizona turquoise has been found near Albuquerque, Bisbee, Cave Creek, Globe, Kingman, Turquoise and Birdeyes mountains. In California turquoise has been found? in San Bernardo, Imperial, and Inyo counties.
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.
What state has the best 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.
What is the most expensive piece of turquoise?
For example, Persian grade turquoise is the most valuable, the classic “robin’s egg blue” color, because it has trace vanadium and no iron. In the United States, the closest to Persian grade available was found in Arizona’s Sleeping Beauty Mine.
Where is the most turquoise found?
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.
Is real turquoise worth anything?
Turquoise prices normally range from $1 to $10 per carat but can reach $1000 per carat for the best quality stones. Real turquoise of the top quality costs even more than gold, so it is definitely worth the money. Moreover, turquoise has a multi-layered history that can be traced to ancient Egypt and Aztec culture.
Why is Sleeping Beauty turquoise so expensive?
In 2012, the Sleeping Beauty mine closed and sent prices skyrocketing (not because the mine was spent, but because the copper mine that owned the mining concession sold the mine, and its new owner decided not to pursue the turquoise mining operation, according to Foutz). Buyers used to pay $10 per ct.
Can you mine for turquoise in Arizona?
Arizona itself has a history of mining the beautiful stone. Below you’ll learn about Bisbee, Sleeping Beauty, Kingman, and Morenci turquoise. Bisbee turquoise was one of the first to enter the market and has since become one of the most sought-after types of turquoise.
Where can I prospect for turquoise in Arizona?
Arizona Turquoise Mines
- Bisbee Mine.
- Blue Bird Mine.
- Castle Dome Mine.
- Castle Dome Mine.
- Cave Creek Mine.
- Ithaca Peak Mine.
- Kingman Mine.
- Morenci Mine.
Is gold found in turquoise?
Cerrillos turquoise also holds a special place in Native American history. Cripple Creek Turquoise: Originally found as a by-product of gold mining in Cripple Creek, CO, this turquoise is generally blue to light green – and rarely, and spectacularly, has a matrix of gold.
How can you tell raw turquoise?
Turquoise is naturally a soft stone, but howlite (the turquoise imitation), is even softer. This means that if you scratch your stone and it scratches easily, you most likely have a piece of howlite. But if it’s very difficult to scratch your stone, you’ve got genuine turquoise!
What is the rarest stone on earth?
Painite : Not just the rarest gemstone, but also the rarest mineral on earth, Painite holds the Guinness World Record for it. After its discovery in the year 1951, there existed only 2 specimens of Painite for the next many decades. By the year 2004, there were less than 2 dozens known gemstones.
Is turquoise going extinct?
Important as it is for the native Americans, turquoise is on the verge of extinction. The supply of natural turquoise has been dramatically reduced in the past few years. Worldwide, China has been the world’s largest producer of turquoise since 1985.
Can you get turquoise wet?
Can you shower with a turquoise jewel? As mentioned before, water and humidity are not recommended. This mineral from dry and arid environments will absorb liquids and chemical products (water, soap, cream,) and the colour will be altered.
What is the most popular turquoise?
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.
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.
What kind of 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.