Navajo Kingman Turquoise Brooch - Genevive Ramone (#33)
$825.00
Artist: Genevive Ramone
Navajo Jewelry
2 1/2" x 2"
This pendent-broach contains nine extremely well matched cabochons of high-grade natural Duvall Kingman turquoise. The Kingman mine is located on Turquoise Mountain, which is about 9 miles from Kingman, Arizona. The Duvall designation refers to this turquoise having been excavated from the old diggings of the Duvall mining company, which was focused on producing copper. As we know, copper gives turquoise its sky blue color. Genevive Ramone purchased this satisfying suite of Kingman turquoise from a gem dealer and set them in a simple, yet tasteful setting. The emphasis is on the stones, but the silver work isn’t bad either.
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Kingman Turquoise
Kingman Turquoise comes from a large open-pit copper mine in the Mineral Park Mining District, northwest of Kingman, Arizona and was one of the largest turquoise mines in this country. The area lies in high desert country at an elevation of 3,345 feet and is surrounded by three mountain ranges. The mining district around Kingman, Arizona has always been a large producer of turquoise, at one time the world's largest. First mined by Indians, this area was home to the most extensive prehistoric workings found in Arizona.
The modern production of turquoise dates back to the early 1880’s when James Haas rediscovered these ancient Kingman area mines. Much of the turquoise occurred as seams, masses and veins. The color of natural Kingman turquoise can range from light blue to very dark blue and sometimes tints of green. The matrix is from white, light brown to black and frequently flecked with pyrite and times quartz. The mine became famous for its rounded, bright blue nuggets with black matrix. Few turquoise mines produced nuggets, especially of this quality. In its high-grade form it has always been considered among the top quality American turquoise. With so many thousands of pounds of good quality turquoise produced in the Kingman area over the last one hundred years it is hard to believe that today very little high-grade Kingman turquoise is available.
Other names for Kingman turquoise: Ithaca Peak, The Wall, Tiffany, Courtland, Az., Gleeson
Most desirable: Deep Blue with molybdenum pyrite; Real blue with pyrite; Bird's eye; Water Web; Nuggets
Related legends:
Silversmith Work
When and how the Navajo acquired the art of working metals is unknown but there are reasons for supposing that it was introduced among them, or at least more developed and improved upon by them, since the time they have occupied their present country?