Example Pictures are not necessarily
the highest of grade, rather a good example of a common look from
a particular mine.
A Few Facts about Kingman Turquoise from the Mineral Park Mine
The Mineral Park Mine, in the Cerbat Mountains 14 miles northwest
of Kingman, was first mined by Indians centuries before white man
came to the area. It is one of the three sites of prehistoric mining
localities in the state of Arizona. Mineral Park was the most extensively
worked area by the Indians of the three. S.A. “Chuck”
Colbaugh found a cache of stone hammers uncovered in ancient trenches
and tunnels, when he had the turquoise mining concession in May
of 1962. Ithaca Peak and Turquoise Mine (formally called Aztec Mountain
or Aztec Peak) are the most famous of the peaks in the area containing
turquoise.
Brought into the area, Hohokam hammers, dating back to 600 a.d.,
and the Navajo hammers were used for mining, polishing and finishing
the turquoise. Also, found were occurrences of charcoal and skin
water containers suggesting that the rock was first heated with
fire, then cooled suddenly with water. This would cause fracturing.
Using the hammers and picks, the Indians would cut the turquoise
from the rock. The hammers are on display at the Mohave Museum of
History and Arts and the Arizona State Museum in Phoenix.
In the late 1880’s to the early 1900’s, Mineral Park
was mined by the Aztec Turquoise Co., the Los Angeles Gem Co., Arizona
Turquoise Co., Southwest Turquoise Co. and Mineral Park Turquoise
Co.
Chuck Colbaugh won the honor to represent Arizona in a competition
held by the Smithsonian Institution for their gemstone exhibition
that includes a gemstone that represents each of the 50 states.
His cut cab is from Kingman Turquoise. He and his wife, Edith, donated
to the Mohave Museum of History and Art in Kingman in the early
1970s thirty turquoise carvings from Kingman Turquoise. The carvings
were done in Idar-Oberstein, Germany, and Kofa, Japan.
Kingman Turquoise is now mined by S.A. Colbaugh’s grandson,
Marty Colbaugh.
Marty and Josh Colbaugh with an absolutely huge chunk of Kingman
Turquoise.
The Kingman mine from a distance.
Excavator at the site of vien ready to be worked... this does
the heavy lifting not the hard old fashioned work :-)
Huge Viens of Kingman Turquoise!! Look at all that good stuff!!!
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 China. I need your help! If you know of another legitimate mining
operation or old mine claim in China, contact me at: jeweler@durangosilver.com
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