Gertrude Zachary Secret Antiques

Royston Turquoise

"America's favored natural turquoise...

Royston Turquoise comes from the Royston mining district located near Tonapah, Nevada. "Royston Turquoise," originally consisted of four old Turquoise claims: Bunker Hill, Easter Blue, Oscar Wehrend, and Royal Blue. Lynn Otteson moved to Tonopah to mine Royston Turquoise in 1958 and the family have been Turquoise Minors since. Royston Turquoise in known world wide for having a wide range of Turquoise colors from a beautiful soft blue to emerald greens. The color often runs together in the same rock which creates some of the most spectacular Turquoise stones on earth.

Candelaria Turquoise Mine

The Candelaria mine(s) are claims located in the large Candelaria Open Pit Copper, Silver, and Gold Mine. The large ore company leases out the claims to a few mines infrequently. The finest turquoise is now located in a part of the mine so difficult, that it is almost unattainable. The turquoise is a good quality stone of high blue color with an intermittent black or brown, non-webbed matrix. The high-grade Candelaria is a translucent dark blue with a redish brown spiderweb matrix. It is a hard, attractive stone. Candelaria also produces some of the most attractive Varascite, which comes in a wide spectrum of colors. Candelaria spider web varicite stone a mine with a rich history going back to the middle 1800s. This mine produces some of Nevada's best and most unusual Variscite. This is a very hard stone, high silica content. This mine produces some of the most unusual and beautiful stone patterns, no two stones are ever alike. Candelaria, because it is not frequently available and the mine is closed, is considered collectible.

Carico Lake Turquoise Mine

Carico Lake turquoise is named after the location of its mines on a dried up lake bed in a high, cool area of Lander County, Nevada. Its clear, iridescent, spring green color is due to its zinc content and is highly unique and collectible. Carico Lake turquoise is also found in a dark blue-green color with a black or brown, spider web matrix. The Mine has been open for sometime now. A fair amount of this turquoise has been recovered. The less common lime green turquoise which is suspect to actually be predominately faustite, is very very valuable due to it rarety and demand. It is hard material. This mine is also known to produce rare psuedomorph clams that are filled with turquoise. As of late this mine has been owned and operated by Ernie Montoya of Sunwest Silver. Ernie has used this turquoise to create some wonderful gold and silver jewelry. This has really added to the turquoise jewelry market's diversity.

No. 8 Turquoise Mine

The No. 8 turquoise mine in Carlin, Nevada was first mined in 1929 until its depletion. In its prime, No. 8 produced some of the largest nuggets of turquoise found. A spider web matrix of colors ranging from golden brown to black set off the unique bright powder blue background of the stone. High grade No. 8 is deep blue in color and is very rare. No. 8 turquoise has been a very valuable acquisition, rumors of new stashes of great quantity threaten the value from a collectors standpoint, if they prove to be true, of coarse the high-grade will always be very valuable. One of Cutler Edgars. This turquoise has recently seen a rebirth in turquoise jewelry production.

Bisbee Turquoise

The Bisbee mine "the Lavender Pit", near Bisbee, Arizona, is one of the more famous of the American mines because Bisbee turquoise was one of the first put onto the market. The turquoise mine is part of the Bisbee copper mine (The Copper Queen), the main operation of the site. Bisbee turquoise has developed a reputation as a hard, finely webbed or dendrite, high blue stone, known for its "chocolate brown" matrix. Bisbee Turquoise also comes in a beautiful dark green color. Most of this turquoise has already been mined and what is left is in limbo due to circumstances with the copper mining in the open pit, it is one of the most highly collected stones.

Kingman

The Kingman mine in northwestern Arizona was one of the largest turquoise mines in North America. The terms "Kingman" or "high blue" refer to the blue color usually displayed in this stone. It has become a color standard in the industry. The mine became famous for its rounded, bright blue nuggets with black matrix. Few turquoise mines produced nuggets, especially of this quality. Old natural Kingman Turquoise is rare. The Colbaugh's own this mine and the Turquoise Mountain mine, their company name is Colbough Processing. They have recently gone back into the section of the Kingman mine and are digging and bringing our some new Natural Kingman Turquoise.

Morenci

Morenci Turquoise is mined in southeastern Arizona. It is high to light blue in color. Morenci has an unusual matrix of irregular black pyrite that, when polished, often looks like silver. Morenci turquoise is well known because it was one of the first American turquoises to come on the market. It is very difficult to obtain now because the mine is depleted. It is a collectible turquoise.

Turquoise Mountain and "Birdseye"

Turquoise Mountain and "Birdseye" turquoise come from the same mine in northwestern Arizona near the Kingman mine. The mine was closed in the 1980s. It is light to high blue, with both webbed and non-webbed matrix. "Birdseye" describes stones from this mine that show areas of light blue circled with dark blue matrix, resembling the eye of a bird. It is a beautiful addition to one's collection.

Blue Bird Mine

This is an obscure little mine that hasn't produced much. I am not sure why as it is killer material. I have bought a few pounds and that is it. I would love to know more about this mine and be able to get more rough. It produces a heavy quartz matrix stone that is a deep medium blue. Really great stuff.

Orvil Jack Turquoise Mine

Orvil Jack  was NOT a one armed miner who discovered and developed the mine in northern Nevada that produces the turquoise that bears his name. The mining claims where the deposit is located is called the Blue Ridge in Crescent Valley. Originally Orvil only sought out blue turquoise, and at this time, I have heard, he would have his helpers simply discard the green turquoise in search of blue. The rare yellow-green color of the turquoise (Faustite and Varasite) comes from the zinc content. Mr. Jack is now deceased, but his daughter Grace continues to manage the mine. Only a small amount is now being produced, and the turquoise is considered very collectible due to its rare color and scarcity.