The People’s Gemstone Joe Dan Lowry

The People’s Gemstone

Turquoise is the only gemstone in the universe that parallels life, culture, beliefs, and the individuality of each person in our world. We are all unique depending on our looks, opinions, and perspectives about life. Turquoise can also be unique. Each piece of turquoise can have a unique formation, mine source, shape, story, or use in art.

There are many perspectives and histories about this colorful gem. Many Americans simply consider turquoise as a blue or green stone set in Indian jewelry and are shocked that there are world sources for turquoise such as Egypt, China, Mexico, and Chile. Many Iranians consider Persian turquoise the best turquoise in the world and are shocked that most other cultures disagree with their opinion. Many collectors and cultures of turquoise are shocked that someone would buy a turquoise stone

that “they” consider inferior to “their” standard. Turquoise is greater than any one culture and more colorful than any one opinion. A turquoise miner might throw away a teeny tiny piece of turquoise into the tailings pile, but a mineral collector of miniatures would value the teeny tiny formation. One person might love the blue colors while another might love the green colors of turquoise. There are others who love every color of turquoise. Some collect turquoise for clarity and others search for the matrix and spiderweb. Turquoise is a gemstone that is owned and appreciated for its individual beauty specifically defined by those who appreciate each unique formation and color. Kind of like each of us is different and should be appreciated for our uniqueness.

In the study of turquoise, the word “turquoise” refers to topics of color and mineral. The subject becomes more complex when the uses, traditions, and marketing of a turquoise is added to the conversation. Names have been given to certain mining areas around the world, which help define the source that a particular turquoise ore came from. The identifying name and the specific mine source’s unique colors and matrix have created a continued search for the rarest turquoises. The demand and supply of specific looking turquoises has also brought higher prices to the turquoise market. Names can include a turquoise’s country of origin, such as Chinese, Persian, or American. Other names can be specific to a specific mining area, such as Bisbee, Number Eight, Turquoise District, Zhushan, or Cerrillos. The largest source of turquoise available on today’s market is from China. The second largest source is Mexico. In America, there are five states that are famous for having turquoise deposits. Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and California. Of these five states, New Mexico is the most famous and yet it produces the least amount of turquoise ore. New Mexico has seven general areas that have produced turquoise: Tyrone, Cerrillos, Santa Rita, Hachita, Enchantment, Orogrande, and Red Hill. Many of these areas have multiple claims that also have been their color, matrix, cut, or style of jewelry in which it is set in. The phenomenon of mine identification is like an automobile collector recognizing a specific make, model, and year of a specific car. An art collector can recognize different styles and eras of paintings or music lovers appreciate certain styles of music. So, the next time you hear someone say that they love Royston or Tyrone, just know that they are talking about a certain “look” of turquoise from a certain mine source.

Joe Dan Lowry Turquoise Museum 416 2nd St. SW Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102

marketed using specific names, such as Turquoise Hill, Azure, and DeMueles. The most collectible turquoise in New Mexico is Tyrone.

The most famous mining area is Cerrillos. Small active mining projects still occur in the Cerrillos and Hachita hills. Weekend rock hounding is always an option for many people who own any of the New Mexico turquoise claims.

Modern publications and color photography have greatly improved the visual identification and the cataloging of many turquoise mines by