Akasa Jewelry

Kingman

The Kingman mine in northwestern Arizona was one of the largest turquoise mines in North America. The terms “Kingman” or “high blue” refer to the blue color usually displayed in this stone. The mine became famous for its rounded, bright blue nuggets with black matrix. Few turquoise mines produced nuggets, especially of this quality. Old natural Kingman Turquoise is rare. The Colbaugh’s own this mine and they have recently gone back in and are digging and bringing our some new Natural Kingman Turquoise.

Sleeping Beauty

The Sleeping Beauty mine is located near Globe, Arizona. Its turquoise is noted for its solid, light blue color with little or no matrix. Sleeping Beauty turquoise is the favorite of the Zuni Pueblo silversmiths for use in petit point, needlepoint, and inlay jewelry. It is probably the most coveted turquoise today. This mine is one of the largest in North America and is still operating.

Carico Lake Turquoise

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 valuable due to it rarety and demand. It is hard material. This mine is also known to produce rare psuedomorph clams that are filled with turquoise.

Fox

Fox is on of Nevada’s most productive turquoise mines.  Native Americans worked this deposit extensively, and it is said a century ago that nearly every one in the area had at least a little of the turquoise from this location. The area produces a huge amount of good quality blue, green or blue-green (teal) stone with a distinctive matrix. Most of  this turquoise that has been cut is a light to medium blue with a dark color of green of blue spiderweb.

Royston

Royston is a district in Nevada consisting of three turquoise mines: Bunker Hill, Oscar Wehrend, and the main producer, Royal Blue. Royston is known for its beautiful colors ranging from deep green to rich, light blues set off by a heavy brown matrix. The Royston district is still producing some turquoise of high quality. It ranges from a 5-6 in hardness for the highgrade.

Crescent Valley

The Crescent Valley area of Nevada, houses the Fox, Orville Jack, Pixie and Carico Lake mines. All these mines yield a green turquoise as well as other colors. The Pixie mine hasn’t been worked until recently, sitting untouched for twenty years. Pixie turquoise is yellow to mossy green and also occurs in some blues. A gold mining company owns the claim to these mines, and eventually they will all be swallowed up by the gold mining operation, therefore, Pixie turquoise is quite collectible.