Different Types of Turquoise – Part Two

Did you know that the artisans building the Taj Mahal used turquoise in their construction? Built between 1632 and 1653, the structure is a mausoleum that puts a period behind one of history’s most enduring love stories. It is only fitting that the Rajasthan marble would be augmented with Tibetan turquoise.

Ever wonder what other types of turquoise you might run across when visiting historic structures, scouring the stores for beautiful jewelry or finding little-known roadside stands selling this kind of stone?

Candelaria turquoise. Mined in the State of Nevada, gemologists agree that this type of turquoise is of the highest quality. Deep red spider webbing highlights the dark blue color of the stones. If you love high-end jewelry, you might just run across the Candelaria type.

Carico Lake turquoise. Another Nevada product, the pale green or blue Carico Lake turquoise has a devoted following and therefore commands high prices. A rarity among the gems is a startling neon green hue, which is also considered most valuable. If you want to save a bit of money but only Carico Lake merchandise will do, opt for the watery colors that are cheaper.

Chinese turquoise. Tread carefully when selecting Chinese turquoise. A large number of stones have undergone a chemical stabilization process, which decreases their values. Some buyers also do not like the lack of luster, which is a byproduct of the minerals that are unique to these stones. Colors are usually green although recent discoveries at new mines have also yielded blue pieces with black webbing.

Damele turquoise. Coming from Nevada, Damele mine turquoise has a muddy brown appearance and occasional greens mixed in. Spider webbing is fine. The pieces are very desirable.

Easter blue turquoise. Mined near Tonopah, Nevada, Easter blue turquoise features light blue and dark green hues. Brown splotches interrupt the colors.

Godber turquoise. Another Nevada product, Godber turquoise is very pale blue. Spider-webbing is occasionally visible. This type of stone is extremely hard, which makes it impractical for stabilization treatments. It also protects the colors from fading.

Indian Mountain turquoise. Found in the northeastern portion of Nevada, the mix of deep blue and green-blue is stunning. Gold or black matrix displays are also common. Since mining has all but ceased, these pieces are now considered very valuable.

Kingman turquoise. Found in Kingman, Arizona, this type of turquoise is light blue and features dark blue webbing. Experts have coined this look to be the “bird’s eye” appearance.

Morenci turquoise. Hailing from Arizona’s Morenci, this turquoise features a stunning blue coloration that contains shiny bits and pieces of other minerals. Novices can easily tell apart this deeper blue from the lighter versions coming from other mines.

If you missed part one of our article series on the different types of turquoise you can access it here.

Remember, Peter Suchy Jewelers often carries many vintage turquoise pieces you won’t find anywhere else so be sure to stop by our showroom located at 1137 High Ridge Road in Stamford Connecticut.

Or, head on over to our top-rated PowerSeller eBay store where you’ll find we have over 5,000 transactions to date and 100 percent positive feedback.

We also invite you to like us on Facebook and don’t miss out on the final installment in our turquoise series, which will be posted tomorrow!