Where To Buy Turquoise Jewelry In Arizona |WORK|
Kingman Turquoise Mine is one of the oldest and largest turquoise mines in the world. Nestled in the Acerbate Mountains of Arizona, Kingman was mined by prehistoric Native American tribes dating back over a thousand years. Throughout history, Kingman Turquoise Mine has always been the largest supplier to the Southwest American turquoise jewelry industry.
where to buy turquoise jewelry in arizona
The beautiful, high-quality stones coming out of the mine generally feature an array of green and blue shades and hues, but Kingman is most famous for its vibrant sky blue turquoise. At Southwest Silver Gallery, our artists make a wide variety of Kingman turquoise jewelry from these iconic stones; our collection includes everything from bracelets and money clips to earring and necklace sets.
At Southwest Silver Gallery, our focus is sharing Native American culture, traditions, and history with the world. We source all our pieces from local Navajo, Zuni, Hopi, and Santo Domingo tribes that use only the finest sterling silver and Kingman turquoise in their jewelry. Many pieces are signed by the artist and authenticated by certificate.
Turquoise gets it color from the heavy metals in the ground where it forms. The blue turquoise forms when there is a higher concentration of copper, which is the case with most Arizona turquoises. Green turquoise forms where there is a higher concentration of iron. This is the case with most Nevada turquoise. Dry Creek forms where there are few heavy metals present, which is a rare occurrence and the reason for the light whitish blue color.
Each piece is meticulously fabricated. The predominant colors and stones used in traditional Zuni inlay are turquoise, red coral, black onyx and white mother of pearl. Symbolically, the red represents Mother Earth and turquoise, Father Sky. The black and white of the other stones is a further representation of dualities. Other stones that may be used in Zuni jewelry are Gaspeite and orange to purple Spiney Oyster.
We offer both contemporary and vintage turquoise jewelry. We are associated with well over 80 master Navajo, Hopi, Zuni and Santo Domingo silversmiths. Our contemporoary, Native American Jewelry store always keeps in stock a large and varied inventory that we add to regularly. All the turquoise jewelry you see is here and ready to ship to you. The jewelry you see is the jewelry you get.
First, let's first address the matter of fake or costume Southwest jewelry. Not all Native American Jewelry stores are the same. Much of the Southwest jewelry you see for sale looks Native American, but it is not. It is poor copies made using cheap, imitation materials. For example, most of the turquoise you see for sale today is Not Real. It is soft, chalky, otherwise uselss turquoise that is mixed with resins and dyes to give it color and hold it together while it is manufactured. The only advantage to this process is that the resulting plastic turquoise is indestructible and costs almost nothing to make.
The Turquoise Museum gift shop sells natural turquoise from their U.S. mines and from international sources. Here you can buy both turquoise jewelry and cabochons. For an online shopping experience, visit the Lowry Family Collection. Prices reflect the grade and rarity of the turquoise. Purchases include a certificate of authenticity.
Richardson Trading Post has a large collection of Native American-made sterling and turquoise jewelry. Their jewelry is signed by the artist, and the store notes whether the stone is natural or enhanced on the receipt.
With the color of an open Arizona sky, our Sleeping Beauty turquoise jewelry is made with high-grade stones. Pendants, earrings, and matching sets include a range of stones tucked into sterling silver bezels on heart-shaped and rectangular bases. .We have necklaces featuring delicate silver branches set with bright blue leaves. You can even find the latest styles, such as multi-strand necklaces, covered in the best turquoise beads and accented with cabochons. Simple beaded designs are also available that combine our Sleeping Beauty with sparkling peridot and other semi-precious stones.
Each American turquoise mine is marketed by a name, such as Pilot Mountain Turquoise, #8 Mine Turquoise or Sunnyside Turquoise. Each of these mines has a rarity of the amount of ore it produced and the availability of the different grades of turquoise that could be recovered. Certain mines have become famous for their colors and matrix such as Sunnyside for its stunning matrix and Sleeping Beauty for its consistent blues that can be easily matched and set in styles of jewelry such as Zuni inlay and petit point. The Number 8 mine is famous for its golden and black web but has not produced turquoise since 1961. A well known mine can command a higher price for its turquoise than a lesser known mine.
Turquoise is known throughout the world for its brilliant colors, history and ornamental use in jewelry. Egypt and Persia have mined and worked turquoise for over 5000 years and it was set in Egyptian Pharaoh's and Persian King's royal jewelry. In the American Southwest, Native American artists have utilized turquoise for over 2000 years in making Native American Jewelry. In this country as well as around the world turquoise has become synonymous with Native American Jewelry.
The Sunnyside Turquoise mine is located near the town of Tuscaroa in the Tuscaroa mountain range in the northeast part of Nevada. The mine is no longer in operation as it has become part of a gold mining operation and a privately owned ranch. A considerable quantity of Sunnyside Turquoise was shipped from the property for several years in the 70’'s to Arizona and New Mexico, where it has become part of the well known turquoise and silver jewelry collection sold by the Native American Indian Tribes in these areas. A spider web matrix of colors ranging from golden brown to black set off the unique color of the stone. Part of the turquoise is fairly dark blue and very hard. A little greenish blue color is also found in a dark jasperiod. Beautiful green and green/blue colors are also found. Turquoise from this mine is rarely seen today.
The Dry Creek Turquoise mine is located near Battle Mountain, Nevada. Dry Creek Turquoise is a natural stone and has not been treated with any process to change the color and/or the hardness of the natural material of the stone. To date, no other vein of the Turquoise has been discovered anywhere else other than at Dry Creek and when this vein runs out, that will be the last of it. Because this turquoise is as rare as the sacred buffalo, the Indians call it "Sacred Buffalo Turquoise"
No traveler in the Southwest can ignore the abundance of gorgeous silver and turquoise jewelry available at every turn. Old Pawn jewelry is our specialty - authenticity guaranteed. Hundreds of pieces of antique Native American jewelry online. We purchase our old pawn from estates, private collections, and directly from the reservation. To learn more about specific jewelry makers, please see the Medicine Man Gallery Native American Jewelry Hallmarks image database.
At Karen Kane, our turquoise jewelry for women comes in every shape and size, ranging from chunky, turquoise nugget bracelets, and beaded necklace options, to delicate turquoise beaded drop earrings. Discover beautifully crafted taper beaded necklaces that layer effortlessly with your go-to pieces, as well as eye-catching studs as classic as they are bold. Whether you select a stunning inlay cuff, a chunky bangle bracelet, or a statement-making, multi-strand necklace, your Karen Kane jewelry will shine thanks to premium sterling silver, ethically sourced stones, and authentic jet, shell, and heishi beads.
Archaeologists have found evidence of the native people and what would become America creating jewelry from the stones, shells, and other natural materials as far back as 10,000 years ago. As the millennia went on, turquoise jewelry became one of the more prominent varieties made specifically by tribes in the Southwest. This was, after all, where the turquoise stone was naturally found in some quantities.
Before diving into the question of authenticity versus mass production, it helps to understand the origins of turquoise jewelry and why it is prized so much by the people who originally used this unique stone to fashion adornments and accessories.
Native people in the Americas have been creating jewelry to decorate themselves and to give to others for an exceptionally long time. Some of the earliest stone tools found were drills that could create holes in natural materials like stone, antlers, shells, bone, and porcupine quills. Although many different types of stone were used, turquoise quickly became one of the most important for a handful of groups in the Southwest. The main turquoise jewelry makers were the Navajo, Hopi, and Zuni.
Not only did it introduce new artistic styles and methods, but the ability to work with silver combined with semiprecious stones like turquoise gave the native people the ability to trade more effectively with the newcomers. While this was certainly not an overall positive experience, the skills would carry on through the generations. When tourists began traveling westward in the early 1900s and settlers swept across the land, the turquoise and silver jewelry was established as a staple of the trade economy.
Although the Navajo, Hopi, and Zuni have been mentioned elsewhere in this article, they are not the only first Nations that created turquoise jewelry in history. Because of the popularity of the beautiful blue-green stone, other tribes used it as well. However, these are the largest, most well-known, and the ones who have continued the artistic tradition for the longest.
Despite their shared love of turquoise, they each had distinctive jewelry styles that people love even today. Although it is impossible to describe all of them, the following differences are noteworthy.
Today, Native and non-natives love turquoise because it simply looks beautiful. Each piece of jewelry can have its own distinct hue and pattern that give people the one-of-a-kind looks they cherish. Its popularity has led material manufacturers to create fake turquoise from a stone called howlite, which is tied with blue and green colors. 041b061a72