Nevada Turquoise Mines Through Cyprus Sierrita

Ajax Turuqoise Mine

The small Ajax mine, located in south central Nevada, south or Reno. This mine is no longer in operation. The mine yields stones from light blue with darker blue veins to a predominant dark green with light blue areas. This latter coloration is considered quite unusual for Turquoise, and is highly desireable. The Ajax mine has gone through a few hands, but has remained the Ajax. If you were to visit the mine today, you probably wouldn't find much activity. At one point the Ajax mine belonged to the Otteson's who traded it to another miner for the Easter Blue mine near the Royston District. It is believed that the Otteson's made the trade since the Easter Blue mine is closer to their ranch, it is also handy for them that the Easter Blue mine is close the Royston District. Speaking of the Royston mine, the Ajax and Royston mines produce material that is very close in color and character. Ajax is a wonderful Turquoise to adorn any jewelry with. Ajax is an American Turquoise classic that can be found in all types of silver jewelry including old pawn turquoise jewelry and gold jewelry.

Apache Mine

This mine is locate on the west side of the Toiyabe Range several miles north of Austin, in Lander County. The deposit was not discovered until the 1990s. Thick veins of variscite ranging up to about 3 and a half inches are mined here. The varicite is generally light green with black mottled markings. Zones of higher quality darker green variscite nuggets have been uncovered in the deeper workings. This property has produced considerable quantities of variscite and is considered one of the worlds largest producers of that material. Initially, much of the material was marketed as "Apache Turquoise" but the name was retracted once a correct mineral identification was made. Several tons of high quality material have been produced. Looks stunning in gold and turquoise jewelry.

Basalt Turquoise Mine

The Basalt Mine produces a beautiful dark blue turquoise with a distinct brown matrix. Alot of the Turquoise from the Basalt mine has some very unique matrix and wonderful medium blue color. This mine is located in the Candelaria District. Most of this turquoise forms in a quarts host rock. Most of this turquoise comes in thin vein. One of the most desireable looks of this Turquoise is the Turquoise with quarts matrix in it. Very Rare stuff as this was a small mine and is no longer in operation. Another diverse look of American Turquoise.

Milky Way Variquoise

This Mine is now known commonly called "Candelaria Variscite" and produces the finest spider web deep blue turquoise you have ever seen! Blue Boy produced what is popularly known as Variqouse or a mix of Variscite and Turquoise, which is usually a beautiful mix of forest green, brown, and blue with a dark brown-black spider web matrix. The most collectible material from this mine is the fine webbed or "Smokey" looking material, looks like the milky way in space.

Blue Creek Turquoise Mine

The Blue Creek Turquoise Mine is located in the Candelaria Hills mining region of Nevada. This mine produces a beautiful blue-green spider web turquoise and varascite in large vein and wafers. This mine shares a mountain side with the Otteson's Broken Arrow mine. We particularity like the blue with white spider web material this mine produces. Great stuff in both silver jewelry and gold and turquoise jewelry.

Blue Diamond Nevada Turquoise Mine

A Rare deep blue Turquoise producing mine in Nevada, Blue Diamond was mined mostly in the 60s and 70s. You don't see much of this great stuff around anymore. It is dark blue with a black matrix of dendrites and triangle shaped black chert. The blue a lot of times is a swirling of two dark blues,.. it is stunning This is a classic American Turquoise Look. This mine produces a ton of different shades of greens and blues in all matrix patterns.

The Blue Gem Turquoise Mines

There were three different locations all called the Blue Gem mine, and each produced a great variety of turquoise, from intense blues to deep green combinations with a hard, irregularly distributed matrix. While there are other mines in Nevada of the same name, the Battle Mountain Blue Gem mine& the Tonapah Blue Gem Mine, which began production in 1934 and is now closed, yielded the most valuable Blue Gem turquoise because of its rich color and its hardness. It is greatly desired by collectors. One of our favorites! The Battle Mountain Turquoise is an all time favorite and classic American Turquoise and very hard to beat. Blue gem has been called by Gem collectors and scientists to be the perfect color of Turquoise.. better than Persian!

Links: More Blue Gem Turquoise Information | Nevada Blue Gem Official Site | Buy Blue Gem Turquoise Jewelry

Blue Ice Turquoise

Blue Ice Turquoise is from a new find discovered last year by a prospector named William Murdoch, here is what he said "I found this near Yerington, Nevada and named it partly because it looked like blue ice and partly because I had to break through a layer of ice to get to it." In recent years a copy cat has come out.. Turquoise from Mexico that is being called Blue Ice.

Blue Jay Nevada Turquoise Mine

Another beautiful blue Nevada Turquoise mine, located in the Battle Mountain region. This mine produces nice big nuggets of blue turquoise similar to Fox, or big spider web vein with a brown matrix. Classic American Turquoise. Makes wonderful cluster turquoise jewelry. Definately has that aqua blue green look.

Blue Medicine Nevada Turquoise Mine

One of the Edgar's projects. Produced a fine spider web matrix turquoise, very high-grade and very rare. Almost a varacite clarity to this stuff. Great webbing and coloration. Look at this American turquoise... has a certain Tibetan Turquoise look. Wouldn't this look great in some gold and turquoise jewelry?

Blue Moon Turquoise Mine

The mine is in Esmerelda County in the Candelaria Hills, within a mile of the famous 'Blue Boy' Mine, north of Columbus Salt Flat and Coaldale Nevada.
This mine is located amongst the Miss Moffet Mine, Blue Creek, Broken Arrow, and Blue Jay Nevada Turquoise Mines. This mine Produces a light to medium Blue Turquoise, and the high-grade is a darker blue. It runs in a black chert or brown host rock. Much of this material is a light blue with black spiderwebbing that almost looks like the finer specimens of natural Chinese or Tibetan Turquoise. A great example of the diversity of American Turquoise.

Blue Thunder Turquoise

An exceptionally fine and beautiful turquoise. Intense, vivid blue interspersed with amazing Reddish/Brown matrix in a very intricate spider web pattern. This Blue Thunder turquoise with was found in very minimal quantity in the early 1980’s and is very seldom seen today. Blue Thunder has a great black spiderweb look to it. Alot of this material is very nicely and evenly patterned with spiderweb matrix. In the past it would not be a stretch to have a beautiful cabochon cut from this Turquoise that was the size of an egg. Today, you would be lucky to get a stone the size of a quarter. It is highly sought after by high end contemporary jewelers and collectors, and are rarely available.

Blue Warrior Turquoise Mine

The Blue Warrior mine produces a beautiful mid to deep blue turquoise with a tight spider web matrix. Nice hard material. This is some of the funkiest rock, the turquoise at this mine was formed in lava rock. Most of this turquoise is a very fine webbed material, much like Lander's Blue... but much different matrix. It has some nice deep blues and some nice medium blues all with black webbing. The mine also produces a combination of turquoise and chrysicola in the same rock. Awesome gold and silver turquoise jewelry.

Blue Wind Nevada Turquoise Mine

Blue Wind Turquoise was some of the greatest spiderweb Turquoise to ever come out of the ground. Blue Wind Turquoise has the look and feel of Lander's Blue. It is so extremely beautiful it is hard to do do it justice with words. There are many rumors, and facts that state that the Blue Wind Turquoise actually came from the Lander's mine. We personally cannot prove this, but we have heard it enough to believe it, as have many other professionals in the gem and jewelry business. Blue Wind Turquoise is a fabulous medium to dark blue Turquoise with deep black spiderweb. The webbing in most of this turquoise is very evenly distributed. This Turquoise is so fine, it is one of the most valuable and illusive Turquoise in the world. Blue Wind Turquoise has sold for as much as $150.00/ct. Absolutely gorgeous.

Links: Buy Blue Wind Turquoise Jewelry

Broken Arrow Turquoise and Variscite Mines

The Broken Arrow Mine is located in the Candelaria Mining District of Nevada outside of Mina. The Broken Arrow claims belong to the Otteson's. What has come out of the Broken Arrow thus far is a blue and emerald green spider web and clear Turquoise and Varascite, some call Variquoise. The emerald green variscite is absolutely stunning, it looks like forest green emerald or jade. Some of the finest variscite we have ever seen. Some of the turquoise they are pulling out looks like old fox, the good stuff. Look at this gorgeous turquoise jewelry!!

Links: More Broken Arrow Turquoise Information | Buy Broken Arrow Turquoise Jewelry

Broken Bow Nevada Variscite and Turquoise Mines

The Broken Bow claim belongs to the Otteson's and at This time is undeveloped. The claim sits on the back side of the hills the White Creek mine is located on. These guys are so busy right now it will probably be sometime before they get to producing this commercially if ever.

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 reddish brown spider web 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 it 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 rarity 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 Sun west 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.

Links: More Carico Lake Turquoise Information | Buy Carico Lake Turquoise Jewelry

Carlin Nevada Turquoise Mine

This mine is located in the northeast part of the state. A very small mine. This mine hasn't seen any activity in many years, except for old stashes, you won't find any of This turquoise anymore. Beautiful Clarity! The Carlin Turquoise Mine Produced a lot of very hard Turquoise in its day. Alot of this stuff is really gel type material, at least all that we have seen through our generations.. It is almost like gem silica. Carlin has a very distinct look to it. It is a really good Turquoise variety to add to your collection as it is sure to look different than mot the Turquoise you already own. Killer in silver jewelry.

Colorback Mines I & II Chalcociderite, Variscite and Turquoise Mines

This Nevada mine Produces a beautifully white tight black spider webbed Chalcociderite as well as a gorgeous green and rare blue Varascite with a black or brown matrix. It is excellent cutting material, almost no waste. The Colorback mine I or in the old days Turquoise Boy mine is one half mile north of the Badger mine and 3.5 miles North-Northwest of Tenabo near Crescent Valley, Nevada. Turquoise is associated with an opalized sill that dips intruding black chert. The chert adjacent to the sill is brecciated and contains the turquoise. The Colorback II mine has Chalcosiderite and Varacite material rather than turquoise as the major find. The Chalcosiderite has a beautiful black spider web pattern with white, blue, green, yellow, or orange hues. These stones go great with red coral and turquoise or by themselves. The Variscite is a beautiful light green or brown with black spider or matrix throughout the stones. Some of this material is close to the look of the New Landers Mine Material and the Tortoise Mine material. Super gorgeous and super hard. This is great material to work with. I highly recommend it!

Cortez A.KA. Fox Turquoise Mine

Cortez or Fox is on of Nevada’s most productive turquoise mines. In the 1940’s, Dowell Ward purchased the old Cortez claims and developed them using the names Fox, White Horse, Green Tree and Smith to differentiate among the colors produced in the area and to create a larger perceived share of the turquoise market. The area produces a huge amount of good quality blue, green or blue-green stone with a distinctive matrix. Most of This turquoise that we have cut has been a light to medium blue with a dark color of green of blue spider web. Much of the Fox Turquoise was cut into nugget beads in the old days. Today it is hard to obtain good old Fox Turquoise and they also produce a stabilized form of Fox Turquoise today. I preffer the good old Fox that has the wonderful bubbly nuggets. This is by far some of the Best Turquoise Nevada has ever produced.

Links: Buy Fox Turquoise Jewelry

Crow Springs or Little Crow

Crow Springs, also known as Blue Bird, was discovered in 1909 near Tonopah, Nevada. This mine produces a nice blue/green mix turquoise with a blackish brown matrix. This is another Turquoise mine that procuces the classic Nevada Turquoise look that is close to Royston, Pilot Mountain, and Ajax. This mine seems to produce a higher percent of green tone Turquoise. It has a pretty tan and brown matrix in it. It is formed in the same Ryolite host rock as Ajax, Pilot Mountain, and Royston. The Crow Springs and Little Crow mines have gone through several owners over the years. This mine was being worked most recently by the Otteson's. It now has a new owner. The recent material on the market from this mine comes in stabilized and natural form, classic turquoise and boulder or ribbon turquoise. Since the mine has ben re-openned it is a lot easier to find this Turquoise on the market. Our suggestions is buy it while it is available!

Cyprus Sierrita

A small American mine located in Nevada that we don't know much about. It produces mostly a straight blue turquoise, some with small black matrix. Nice color blue. Nice classic American Turquoise look. This mine produce a wide variety of looks. Alot of it is close to the Tonopah Turquoise Mines look. It has some that looks way different. It is fairly hard Turquoise. Cyprus Sierrita Turquoise has a majority of material that is aqua blue as opposed to a true blue such as Sleeping Beauty. Our suggestion is try to find the stone from this mine that has a distinct matrix pattern, rather than the material that is close to the material coming out of the Tonopah mines.