The most popular Arizona gems include purple Amethyst from the Four Peaks Mountains, green peridot from Globe, red garnet from the Four Corners, and Kingman turquoise jewelry. Sami’s sets all of their Arizona mined gemstones in custom made, fine gold and silver jewelry.
What gems come from Arizona?
Arizona Gems. The best known gems found in Arizona are turquoise, garnet, peridot, chrysocolla, azyr-malachite, malachite, agate, chalcedony, amethystine quartz, diamond (meteoric) dioptose and topaz.
What is the official gemstone of Arizona?
Turquoise was designated the official gemstone of Arizona in 1974. It’s a blue-green, waxy-surfaced stone used for centuries in Southwest Indian Jewelry. It can be found throughout the Southwest and is composed of hydrous oxide of aluminum and copper.
Why is turquoise popular in Arizona?
Arizona mines do produce green and aqua blue / green Turquoise, but are more famous for the blue Turquoise that seems to be prominant in these mines. Often when people first become interested in the “Sky Stone” they learn that Arizona is where Turquoise comes from.
Is Arizona known for crystals?
In Arizona, geodes can be found in many places across the state and contain a large diversity of crystals. Quartz geodes are some of the most common. Though Arizona has produced a dazzling array including brilliant purple amethyst specimens.
Where can I find rare gems in Arizona?
Below you’ll find some of the best places in Arizona to find the gems, stones, rocks, and minerals you are looking for:
- Burro Creek BLM Land in Wickenburg, Arizona.
- Santa Cruz County outside of Nogales, Arizona.
- Arizona Amethyst Mines in Fountain Hills, Arizona.
- Petrified Forest National Park in Northeast Arizona.
Is there any jade in Arizona?
Arizona Gemstones
Agate, amethyst, garnet, jade, jasper, obsidian, onyx, and opal have all been found in Arizona and used to make gems.
Which state has the most turquoise?
Arizona is currently the most important producer of turquoise by value. Several mines exist in the state, two of them famous for their unique colour and quality and considered the best in the industry: the Sleeping Beauty Mine in Globe ceased turquoise mining in August 2012.
What is the most valuable gemstone?
Blue Diamond
1. Blue Diamond – $3.93 million per carat. The most expensive and rarest gemstone in the world is a natural blue diamond. That explains the price of $3.93 million per carat.
What is the main mineral mined in Arizona?
Arizona’s copper production was 60% of the total for the United States. Copper mining also produces gold and silver as byproducts.
| Copper mining in Arizona | |
|---|---|
| Commodity | Copper |
| Production | 750,000 metric tons |
| Value | US $5.54 billion |
| Employees | 10,300 |
What is the rarest color of turquoise?
Bisebee Turquoise
Originally a huge copper mine in Arizona, this mine produces a royal blue turquoise. Only one company was given the lease to the mine, and in that time, less than 2,000 lbs of high-grade stone was recovered. With so few of these gems ever found, the stone is extremely rare.
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 Arizona turquoise rare?
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 there diamonds in Arizona?
Diamond: The only diamonds found in Arizona are meteoric, and occur in meteoric iron found at Canyon Diablo, near Coon mountain, in the northern part of the state. The crystals are very small, and have no commercial value.
Where can I find gemstones in Arizona?
The best places to collect rocks in Arizona include the areas around Phoenix and Tucson, as well as smaller towns such as Cave Creek, Clifton, Morristown, and Kingman. These locations offer a diverse array of rock and mineral specimens such as agate, jasper, petrified wood, turquoise, and copper.
Are there rubies in Arizona?
Arizona Ruby
These garnets have been given the nickname “Arizona Rubies” because of their deeply saturated color. Even the small size of these gems doesn’t take away the gorgeous hue.
Can you dig for diamonds in Arizona?
You can find the exact directions here for your trip. Diamond Point is open year-round and no tools or digging is allowed during this time, so plan accordingly. It’s important to know that shallow digging is only allowed between October – February. The best time to find crystals is after rain on a very sunny day.
Where are emeralds found in Arizona?
Emerald Cave is a natural phenomenon that occurs on the Colorado River border between Nevada and Arizona, on the Arizona side. The Emerald Cave sits on the mouth of the Emerald Cove on the Black Canyon portion of the winding 12-mile stretch.
Are there opals in Arizona?
Opals have been found at the Burro Creek in Wickenburg. This is a well-known mineral producing area that will produce a wide variety of collectable minerals. The Southern Sky Opal mines are located in southern Arizona near Tubac in Santa Cruz County. These mines produce a soft blue opal that is highly desirable.
What is Arizona black jade?
Arizona Black Jade comes from a remote location in the Bradshaw Mountains of Prescott, Arizona. This special stone is composed of the minerals nephrite and barkevikite. The added iron in the form of magnetite produces its deep, rich black color.
Where can I find 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.