Turquoise
comes in all shades of blue, to blue-green, with a possible
shading towards brown-veined greens. Matrix (veining) may or may not be
present in any color(s). It is the natural variations in turquoise that make it
appealing. The color of turquoise in American Indian jewelry ranges from brownish
green to bright blue.  Found
in veins sandwiched in between layers of mother rock, the turquoise can
show some of the influence of the mother rock in its matrix or veining. The matrix
colors range from blue to golden brown to black and sometimes with golden flecks
(sometimes called "fools gold" or iron pirite) which is very desirable.
The more blue, the higher the copper
content. The more green, the higher the iron content.
 Sometimes
turquoise is cut so that it takes some of the mother rock with it. This is referred
to as "Boulder Turquoise" and happens to be very popular right
now as it shows great contrast between the turquoise and the rock which surrounded
it.
Some of the
turquoise mines in the US:
Sleeping Beauty (Globe in Gila County, Arizona) Uniform blue turquoise
that is easily matched and cut. Often clear but sometimes with white matrix that
is dyed black.
Candelaria
(Northern Nevada) A small depleted (closed) mine. Stones have luminous quality.
Royston
(Nye County, Nevada) Blue and green in the same formation.
Lander
Blue (Lander County, Nevada) The rarest of all Southwest US turquoise; high
grade and most valuable.
Morenci (Greenlee County, Arizona) Blue
color with "Fool's Gold" (iron pyrite) matrix.
Lone Mountain
(Esmeralda County, Nevada) Deep blue stones with fine spider webs.
Fox (Lander County, Nevada) Green
and blue-green stones.
Kingman
(Mohave County, Arizona) Blue stones with white matrix sometimes dyed black.
King's Manassa (Conejos County, Colorado) Brilliant green with golden
matrices.
Dry Creek (Battle Mountain, Nevada) Pale blue or white
because no heavy metals are in the ground where it forms. Also called Sacred Buffalo
Turquoise because the White Buffalo is a very sacred and rare buffalo.
Carico
Lake (Lander County, Nevada) Blue and green.
Pilot Mountain (Esmeralda
County, Nevada) Blue and green stones with dark brown, reddish or black matrices.
Turquoise Mountain (Mohave County, Arizona) Blue and green.
Stormy
Mountain (Elko County, Nevada) Dark blue with black matrix looking like blotches.
Bisbee (Cochise County, Arizona) Deep blue color with smoky black matrix.
Cripple Creek (Teller County, Colorado) Green and blue with brown matrix;
by-product of gold mining. Turquoise
is the birthstone of December and is thought to bring good fortune, strength
and helps overcome illness. The Navajo
consider turquoise to bring good fortune and appease the Wind Spirit. The
Zuni believe blue turquoise is male and of the sky and green turquoise
is female and of the earth. Hopi legend
tells of the lizard who travels between the above and the below, excretes
turquoise. This stone can hold back floods. 
White
buffalo "turquoise"
A milky white stone that may have light black
&/or brown inclusions. Lack of copper causes it to have no blue color. It
is not true turquoise, it is Howlite, see page
two. | 
