New Mexico designated Turquoise as the official state gem in 1967. Turquoise was designated as the official gemstone of Arizona in 1974. Probably one of the oldest gemstones known, Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral. Until the 20th Century only the prized robin's egg blue color was used to make gemstones and be placed in jewelry. The majority of the world's finest-quality turquoise comes from western and southwestern United States, the largest producer of turquoise in the world, surpassing the famous blue Turquoise of Persia. Turquoise has been used extensively by both southwestern U.S. Native Americans and by many of the Indian tribes in Mexico since about 200 B.C. to make solid turquoise beads, carvings, and inlaid mosaics. Turquoise, especially the robin's egg blue gemstone worn by Pharaohs and Aztec Kings, is probably one of the oldest gemstones known to man. Nearly all important deposits of Turquoise are located near copper deposits in arid desert regions of the world.
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Until the 1920's, New Mexico was the United States largest producer of Turquoise. However, since then Arizona and Nevada have surpassed New Mexico in terms
of both annual and total production. Production of Turquoise from deposits in the Cerrillos Hills, Santa Fe County (the oldest known Turquoise mine on the North American Continent goes back 2000 years) ; the Burro Mountains and Little Hachita Mountains, Grant County; the Jarilla Hills, Otero County; and the Guadelupe Mountains, Eddy County; can be traced to prehistoric Indians. Several different mines have operated at each of the New Mexico locations mentioned, producing seam and nugget turquoise. Many of the more famous and higher-quality deposits are now economically depleted. Turquoise can still be found in New Mexico, but production in any significant quantity is a question of economics and the determination of the individuals involved.
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Most of Arizona’s turquoise mines are actually large open pit copper mines in which the turquoise deposits are leased. Many of the Turquoise deposits are located on Indian Reservations, and access is controlled by the reservation. The Bisbee mine "the Lavender Pit", near Bisbee, Arizona, is one of the more famous. Castle Dome was active in the 1970s. The Ithaca Peak mine is located in northwestern Arizona above the Kingman mine, and is famous for its beautiful blue with Pyrite matrix. Morenci Turquoise is mined in southeastern Arizona. It is high to light blue in color. Morenci has an unusual matrix of irregular black pyrite that,
when polished, often looks like silver.
The Sleeping Beauty mine is located near Globe, Arizona. Its Turquoise is noted for its solid, light blue color with no matrix, which set the world standard after the Persian material. This mine is one of the largest in North America and is still operating. Turquoise Mountain and "Birdseye" Turquoise come from the same
mine in northwestern Arizona near the Kingman mine. This mine was closed in the 1980s. Cave Creek Mine is a new mining operation, near Cave Creek, Arizona. The material is medium to dark blue in color and has an "old Kingman" or Morenci look to it, alot of times with Pyrite in it. Most times, the company or person with a lease for a particular Turquoise location is called in to mine the Turquoise when a pocket is hit as the copper mining takes place. Regardless of the size or the sophistication of the initial copper mining or recovery operation, the actual Turquoise is recovered by careful extraction using age old hand methods.
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Turquoise and Turquoise Jewelry worldwide has surged in and out of fashion like a strobe light, yet never really losing its popularity, just being more popular at certain times than at others. Currently Turquoise popularity is on a rise and high note in the fashion world. From as far back as 6,000 B.C.,
Turquoise has been mined, traded, and revered by ancient cultures in Egypt, Persia, Turkey, and China as well as in the New World, by the Aztecs, Incas, and tribes of the American southwest and Mexico. Turquoise comes in a variety of colors, from all shades of blue to all shades of green, although rare, even yellow, red, brown and white. But one must be very careful when purchasing Turquoise, especially colors other than blue as many times what is offered is actually dyed Howlite, Magnesite or Ivoryite. Even actual Turquoise can be stabilized, or reconstituted. Also plastics and other newer resin materials can be made to look like Turquoise. Price is usually the determining factor as to real verses fake, stabilized or reconstituted Turquoise, or if it is colored Howlite. The picture to the left above is of Howlite, but yes there is a White Turquoise found only in Arizona, known to the Indians as "Sacred White Buffalo Turquoise". Most white Turquoise sold as "White Buffalo" Turquoise is actually either Howlite or Magnesite.
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New Mexico designated Turquoise as the official state gem in 1967. Turquoise was designated as the official gemstone of Arizona in 1974. Probably one of the oldest gemstones known, Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral. Until the 20th Century only the prized robin's egg blue color was used to make gemstones and be placed in jewelry. The majority of the world's finest-quality turquoise comes from western and southwestern United States, the largest producer of turquoise in the world, surpassing the famous blue Turquoise of Persia. Turquoise has been used extensively by both southwestern U.S. Native Americans and by many of the Indian tribes in Mexico since about 200 B.C. to make solid turquoise beads, carvings, and inlaid mosaics. Turquoise, especially the robin's egg blue gemstone worn by Pharaohs and Aztec Kings, is probably one of the oldest gemstones known to man. Nearly all important deposits of Turquoise are located near copper deposits in arid desert regions of the world. 
of both annual and total production. Production of Turquoise from deposits in the Cerrillos Hills, Santa Fe County (the oldest known Turquoise mine on the North American Continent goes back 2000 years) ; the Burro Mountains and Little Hachita Mountains, Grant County; the Jarilla Hills, Otero County; and the Guadelupe Mountains, Eddy County; can be traced to prehistoric Indians. Several different mines have operated at each of the New Mexico locations mentioned, producing seam and nugget turquoise. Many of the more famous and higher-quality deposits are now economically depleted. Turquoise can still be found in New Mexico, but production in any significant quantity is a question of economics and the determination of the individuals involved. 
The Sleeping Beauty mine is located near Globe, Arizona. Its Turquoise is noted for its solid, light blue color with no matrix, which set the world standard after the Persian material. This mine is one of the largest in North America and is still operating. Turquoise Mountain and "Birdseye" Turquoise come from the same 
mine in northwestern Arizona near the Kingman mine. This mine was closed in the 1980s. Cave Creek Mine is a new mining operation, near Cave Creek, Arizona. The material is medium to dark blue in color and has an "old Kingman" or Morenci look to it, alot of times with Pyrite in it. Most times, the company or person with a lease for a particular Turquoise location is called in to mine the Turquoise when a pocket is hit as the copper mining takes place. Regardless of the size or the sophistication of the initial copper mining or recovery operation, the actual Turquoise is recovered by careful extraction using age old hand methods. 
Turquoise has been mined, traded, and revered by ancient cultures in Egypt, Persia, Turkey, and China as well as in the New World, by the Aztecs, Incas, and tribes of the American southwest and Mexico. Turquoise comes in a variety of colors, from all shades of blue to all shades of green, although rare, even yellow, red, brown and white. But one must be very careful when purchasing Turquoise, especially colors other than blue as many times what is offered is actually dyed Howlite, Magnesite or Ivoryite. Even actual Turquoise can be stabilized, or reconstituted. Also plastics and other newer resin materials can be made to look like Turquoise. Price is usually the determining factor as to real verses fake, stabilized or reconstituted Turquoise, or if it is colored Howlite. The picture to the left above is of Howlite, but yes there is a White Turquoise found only in Arizona, known to the Indians as "Sacred White Buffalo Turquoise". Most white Turquoise sold as "White Buffalo" Turquoise is actually either Howlite or Magnesite.
Nevada is a bit unique in that it has designated both a gemstone and a semi-precious gemstone for its State symbols. In an official statement, the State Legislature stated that "The precious gemstone known as the 'Virgin Valley Black Fire Opal' is hereby designated as the official state precious gemstone of the State of Nevada". This took place in 1987. At the same time, they also designated Nevada turquoise, called the 'Jewel of the Desert' as the official state semiprecious gemstone.
Nevada is host to the most turquoise claims of any state in America. Nevada's Turquoise Deposits vary greatly from those in Arizona, rather than turquoise being the biproduct of a large copper mining operation, in Nevada most mines are owned by small "ma & pa" miners. In the past Nevada had over 400 registered claims for turquoise. These days most of these small mines have been mined out or are no longer being mined. The fate of the remaining mines rests with the political environment of the United States, unfortunately this is one turquoise fact that is sad but true. Several mines offer tours and/or allow collectors to hunt for turquoise for an entry fee.