American Turquoise

American Turquoise Mines

Mines Located in Arizona | Mines Located in California

Mines Located in Colorado | Mines Located in Nevada

Mines Located New Mexico | Mines Located in Utah

About American Turquoise

American Turquoise - Is considered the finest Turquoise in the world, in addition, it is the only Turquoise in the world that you can be assured that you are actually getting Authentic Natural Turquoise. For thousands of years Spiritual leaders have been using Turquoise as a Metaphysical Gemstone, it is important to many individuals that the Turquoise is natural and real to have these powers.

It is believed that specific minerals in the earth have an effect on the inhabitants that live here. A good example that most people rely on today are vitamins. Turquoise derives from Copper, Aluminium Sulphites, and Iron which wash down through the ground from rain and snow to form sedimentary deposits. These mineral rich deposits develop into Turquoise over a period of millions of years. So, there is good reason to believe that ancient healers and spiritual leaders were correct in believing that Turquoise could very well have a holistic value to the human being.

American Turquoise varies in color from different consultancies of the minerals
that are in the soil above where it was formed. In general, Arizona produces Blue Turquoise and Nevada produces Green Turquoise, Colorado and New Mexico predominately produce Green Turquoise. In all areas there are deposits of the opposite color but in much smaller amounts.

American Turquoise also varies substantially from the different locations it is found. Turquoise is formed by moisture leaching down into the ground through the mineral rich soil. The liquid flows through and into crevasses and voids below the surface of the earth. Turquoise Nuggets form in a voids within clay and Vein Turquoise from in cracks and voids in hard rock.

American Turquoise is known for its spectacular matrix which comes from the host rock it was formed in. Turquoise can actually be identified from which Turquoise Mine it came from by the color and different elements of its matrix. Bisbee Turquoise is known for its beautiful chocolate brown to reddish brown matrix while Royston Turquoise is known for its golden colored matrix. Occasionally, a Spiderweb pattern matrix is found in Turquoise which is very desirable to collectors, Spiderweb Turquoise is rare and commands a substantially higher value when found.

We recommend Durango Silver Company as authorities on American Turquoise. You can find a wealth of information on their website as they specialize in natural American Turquoise and have been well known for that for decades.

Durango Silver Company specializes in Natural and Authentic American Turquoise in high quality Sterling Silver handcrafted in the Southwest. Visit our page on Natural Turquoise in Southwest Jewelry.

History of American Turquoise

American Turquoise deposits were found by the Native Americans of the Southwest sometime prior to 800 A.D. It was found in what is now known as Arizona by Membres Indians and in what is now known as Northern New Mexico to Southern Colorado by the Pueblo Indians of the Rio Grande.

A very active trade in American Turquoise developed between the coastal tribes who gathered shells and the interior tribes who dug Turquoise in several places as well as salt from the Camp Verde region of central Arizona.

When the Spaniards came to the New World in the 1500's, Turquoise was seen
as a common component of the Native American Indians. It was used in ceremonials, by Medicine Men and as adornments by the Natives of the Southwestern regions of America.

When copper mining began in the Southwest regions of the Southwest, Turquoise became more available. Miners would gather Turquoise rock for an additional source of income and sell or trade it to the Indians and soon Indian Traders and Turquoise Jewelry Manufacturers.

Today, there is a brisk market for Turquoise and a shortage of American Turquoise due to government mining restrictions. At the present time, 2010, the main type of Turquoise being used in Jewelry is from China and of low quality. The Chinese alter almost all Turquoise that they market and they are also experts at making fake Turquoise.

For additional information on Natural Turquoise Jewelry, visit this page.

We hope you have enjoyed our presentation on American Turquoise and have gained some useful knowledge from it. We invite you to learn more about American Turquoise and American Turquoise Jewelry by joining our E-Mail Newsletter - about once every other month we send out a Newsletter to inform our members of what's happening in the American Turquoise world. We also have a monthly drawing from our member base to give away free American Turquoise and American Turquoise Jewelry from Durango Silver Company. Please take a moment to become one of our friends by signing in below.

Turquoise Grades | USGS Turquoise History | Turquoise Rings | Turquoise Beads | Turquoise Bracelets | Turquoise Earrings | Turquoise Pendants | Turquoise Jewelry
Grades & Quality of Turquoise

For Email Marketing you can trust

Indian Village