CaliforniaTurquoise Mines
Example Pictures are not necessarily the highest of grade, rather a good example of a common look from a particular mine.
TURQUOISE - The production of turquoise from deposits in California can be traced back to pre-Colombian Native Americans. Prehistoric mining tools have been found in some of the old workings of the turquoise mines in San Bernardino County.
Over the years, the State's deposits have produced a substantial amount of turquoise. Deposits are located in San Bernardino, Imperial, and Inyo Counties. The material occurs as nodules and as vein filling. Most of the nodules are small in size, about the size of the end of your thumb, and the vein material is about 4 millimeters thick. In the better grade materials, the color varies from a pale to a dark blue, poorer grade materials are greenish-blue and green in color. Some of the material has yellow-brown limonite spiderwebbing.
In the past, a number of turquoise mines operated in the State, several mines in each of the counties. Today, only a few are mine, and produce commercial Turquoise, none of which is easy to find. California Turquoise is really not marketed much at all.
California also has instances of Variscite.
APACHE CANYON MINE
This mine has been mined since the anasazi times. It was rediscovered
in the 60's by Ed Nazelrod and is still in limited production today mainly
done with hand tools. I have recieved a small amount of this from an associate
and it is really great stuff. It is mostly a light robin's egg blue with
a golden yellow open web or "island like" matrix.
BAKER MINE
BERNADINO MINE
BONNIE BLUE MINE
CHRISTIE BLUE MINE
COCHISE CLAIM
COPPER WORLD MINE
EAST CAMP CLAIM
EL PRODUCTO
HIMALAYA MINE
LLANADA COPPER MINE
LITTLE GEM MINE
MIDDLE CAMP CLAIM
MISTIE MOUNTAIN MINE
NEW MONSTER MINE
RENEA BLUE MINE
STARQUEST GROVE MINE or GROVE MINE
TOLTEC (Tiffany) MINE
Another one of the Tiffany Company's interests in turquoise. They mined this for a while back in the 50s and 60s and it now lays dorment for the time being. It is located on Turquosie Mtn. in back of the Apache Canyon Mine outside of Baker, Califonia. As far as its production, it produced the same look as the Royal Blue or what is now known as Royston's highgrade hill. Tiffany's owned in the Royston District in Nevada.
Example Pictures are not necessarily the highest of grade, rather a good example of a common look from a particular mine.
I will continue to add to this list and eventually attempt to have a listing of all turquoise mines that have existed in California. I need your help! If you know of another legitimate mining operation or old mine claim in California, contact me at: durangodillon@gmail.com
We are always looking for great Turquoise and rare turquoise examples from all over the world. Please contact us if you know were to come across any, right now we are looking for Turquoise from California, Montana, Utah, and Virginia. We collect other rare gemstones.
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