Is Cerrillos turquoise valuable?
Is Cerrillos turquoise valuable?
Over the centuries, Cerrillos has produced more turquoise than any other site in the Southwest and events that transpired at Cerrillos in the 1880’s led directly to the recognition of turquoise as a valuable and desirable gemstone. Cerrillos is just a short drive south of Santa Fe in northern New Mexico.
Is Cerrillos turquoise rare?
Cerrillos Turquoise is not only an uncommon and unique form of native New Mexican turquoise, but also has a long history which is deeply entwined with both the ancient native peoples of the Southwest and the more recent American mining companies.
Why does New Mexico have so much turquoise?
In New Mexico, many pieces of Cerrillos turquoise for personal and trade use have been unearthed in the prehistoric ruins of Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon. The Pueblo peoples continued to extract turquoise from the Cerrillos mine until the 1870’s when a silver mining boom raised interest in the area.
Where can I find natural turquoise in New Mexico?
Turquoise deposits are widely distributed in New Mexico in a triangular- shaped region extending from Santa Fe County at the northern apex to Otero, Dofra Ana, and Grant Counties in the south.
What is hachita turquoise?
Hachita turquoise is from a group of mines near Old Hachita, Grant County, New Mexico. They include the Azure, Cameo, Galilee, and Aztec claims. The name “Hachita” comes from the Spanish term for “Little Hatchet”. The turquoise deposits lie in a location known as Turquoise Mountain about 6 mile west of the town.
Is Bisbee turquoise rare?
Bisbee turquoise comes in many shades of blue with webbing, but the highest quality Bisbee turquoise is dark blue with chocolate brown or red webbing. Today, genuine Bisbee turquoise is rare and highly collectible.
What is the best turquoise?
The most-prized turquoise color is an even, intense, medium blue, sometimes referred to as robin’s egg blue or sky blue in the trade. The traditional source for this color is the Nishapur district of Iran, so you’ll also hear it described as “Persian blue,” whether or not it was actually mined in Iran.
What healing powers does turquoise have?
Healing with Turquoise Turquoise balances and aligns all the chakras, stabilising mood swings and instilling inner calm. It is excellent for depression and exhaustion, it also has the power to prevent panic attacks. Turquoise promotes self-realisation and assists creative problem solving.
How can you tell if turquoise is real or not?
Turquoise is naturally a soft stone, but howlite (the turquoise imitation), is even softer. This means that if you scratch your stone and it scratches easily, you most likely have a piece of howlite. But if it’s very difficult to scratch your stone, you’ve got genuine turquoise!
What is raw turquoise?
Turquoise in nature is called “raw” turquoise. Raw turquoise is formed in the earth over thousands of years. Another very similar term is “rough” turquoise. Rough turquoise is a chunk of raw turquoise that has been pulled from the earth, usually in nugget, chalk or dust form.
What is the most sought after turquoise?
Where to see Cerrillos Turquoise stones and jewelry?
Todd Brown to see our display of 100% natural Cerrillos Turquoise stones & jewelry. The Cerrillos Turquoise Mining Museum has displays on the areas rich & colorful mining history. Over the 35+ years we have been in business many thousands of visitors have been through our shop & museum and enjoyed the experience.
What kind of turquoise is found in New Mexico?
Cerrillos is not only an uncommon and unique form of native New Mexican turquoise, but has a history entwined with both ancient Native peoples of the Southwest and more recent American mining companies. Cerrillos turquoise was created and mined under unusual circumstances. It is the only turquoise that formed at the base of a volcano.
What kind of turquoise comes out of the ground?
The Morenci Turquoise mine produced some of the finest Turquoise that has ever come out of the ground! It is high to light blue in color. Some rare highgrade is a super dark blue naturally. Morenci has an unusual matrix of irregular black pyrite that, when polished, often looks like silver.
Which is the oldest turquoise mine in the world?
The Cerrillos Mining District is home to some of the oldest, rarest and most substantial turquoise and mineral workings in North America, utilized from at least 900 AD and possibly earlier. By the 20th century, most of the Cerrillos turquoise lodes were cleaned out. Very few private claims are worked today.