Description

Rough Nevada #8 Natural Turquoise.  These are very small pieces, averaging 5-12mm.

Historically, this mine produced some of the largest nuggets of turquoise ever discovered, including one over 150 pounds in weight. In the 1960’s gold was discovered in the rocks surrounding the mine, and in the late 1980s and 1990s the area was excavated as part of an open pit gold mine.  A 12 inch wide vein of solid spiderweb turquoise was discovered in 1990, but only one large 25 pound nugget/vein section was saved because the mining company was only interested in the gold content of the ores.  The rest of the turquoise went into the mine dump and was buried! Nearly all the turquoise which was produced at the No. 8 is of the spider web-type, with the matrix varying from golden brown to black. Colors range from very light blue to very dark blue, some with interesting hints of green.

Natural turquoise has a Mohs hardness that is high enough to allow it to be shaped and polished without enhancement or stabilization.