California Turquoise Mines

Turquoise Mine List | Grades & Quality | Healing Beliefs | Physical Properties | Spiritual Beliefs | Symbolism | USGS History | General Information | Other Gemstones | Birthstones | Mineral Testing

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

Turquoise Mine List | Grades & Quality | Healing Beliefs | Physical Properties | Spiritual Beliefs | Symbolism | USGS History | General Information | Other Gemstones

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