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
turquoise 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. Surely there is
prehistoric Turquoise Jewelry featuring California Turquoise.
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 spider
webbing.
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 TURQUOISE 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 by the Nazelrod Family, mainly
done with hand tools. I have received 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 TURQUOISE MINE
BERNADINO TURQUOISE MINE
BONNIE BLUE TURQUOISE MINE
CHRISTIE BLUE TURQUOISE MINE
COCHISE CLAIM TURQUOISE MINE
COPPER WORLD TURQUOISE MINE
EAST CAMP CLAIM TURQUOISE MINE
EL PRODUCTO TURQUOISE MINE
HIMALAYA TURQUOISE MINE
LLANADA COPPER TURQUOISE MINE
LITTLE GEM TURQUOISE MINE
MIDDLE CAMP CLAIM TURQUOIES MINE
MISTIE MOUNTAIN TURQUOISE MINE
NEW MONSTER TURQUOISE MINE
RENEA BLUE TURQUOISE MINE
STARQUEST GROVE MINE or GROVE TURQUOISE MINE
TOLTEC (Tiffany) MINE
Another one of the Tiffany Company's interests in turquoise and
turquoise mines. They mined this for a while back in the 50s and
60s and it now lays dormant for the time being. At one time Tiffany
Company made a lot of Turquoise Jewelry with natural American turquoise.
It is located on Turquoise Mtn. in back of the Apache Canyon Mine
outside of Baker, California. As far as its production, it produced
the same look as the Royal Blue or what is now known as Royston's
high grade hill. Tiffany's owned in the Royston District in Nevada.
TURQUOISE MOUNTAIN TURQUOISE MINE
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