Products
Navajo Saudi Arabia Rug - Cora Black (#01)
$1,500.00
Artist: Cora Black
Navajo Rugs
29" x 38 1/2"
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
About the artist:
Related legends:
Weaving
After the medicine woman told the people about the prayersticks she told them that there was a place in the underworld where two rivers crossed. It was called ni tqin'kae tsosi, fine fiber cotton (Indian hemp). There were two persons who brought the seed of that plant, they were spiders. They said that the people were to use the plant instead of skins for their clothing. So this seed was planted in the earth? More about this legend
Certificate of Authenticity
Navajo Serpentine and Jet Earrings - Tommy Jackson (#36)
$495.00
Artist: Tommy Jackson
Navajo Jewelry
7/8" x 7/8"
Tommy Jackson has searched out a few stones of neon green serpentine and some high-quality jet. Once that task was accomplished, he inlayed his discoveries into a simple setting and attached earring posts. The results are, as you can see, delightful. While others may be envious, you will just smile, knowing you have the very best of Tommy’s work.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
About the artist:
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?
Navajo Sheep Cottonwood Root Carving - Marvin Jim (#371)
$750.00
Artist: Marvin Jim
Base: 7" x 7"
Height: 17 1/2"
As the saying goes, “sheep is life”. That may be why Navajo carver Marvin Jim has made this boy look so perfectly satisfied with himself. Marvin puts great care into all of his work and therefore creates first-rate Navajo folk art. There are few things that are more Navajo than sheep, and few Navajo folk artists better than Marvin.
About the artist:
Marvin Jim - Animal Sculptures:
Based upon the Navajo creation tales, the sculptures of Marvin Jim reflect a time long ago, when animals and humans walked and worked together to create a new world. These traditional stories speak of conversations among all beings, of behaving in a manner of mutual respect and of all beings having an equal position in the community. These legends are an essential part of the Navajo culture. The tales are of universal interaction, compassion and tolerance; the things necessary to live a balanced existence.
Related legends:
Sheep
The gods, of course, had had the animals from the beginning of time. When they arranged the world and planned the pattern of hte stars in the sky, they first laid the glittering objects out on a sheepskin. The Sun, father of the war gods, possessed a flock of sheep in four colors. The beautiful and human myth of the Shooting Chant tells how he offered these to his twin children when they had sought and found him. More about this legend
Navajo Silver Brooch w/ Lifestyle Design - Robert Taylor (#07)
$525.00
Artist: Robert Taylor
Navajo Jewelry
1 1/2" x 2 1/4"
This broach is the product of a conversation with Navajo artist Robert Taylor concerning the Peace Medals the U.S. government passed out to Native tribes who were acting according to policy. Robert thought it would be fun to make a medal such as the Navajo might pass back to a general or the president. The scene on the pin depicts a Navajo free to move about his homeland enjoying nature and the peace and solitude he was once so familiar with. Robert thinks this medal would look nice on a military uniform, suit or a woman's Gingham dress.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
About the artist:
Robert Taylor - Silver & Goldsmith:
"Cluster, channel, leaf, inlay, casting... I've done about everything," Robert Taylor talks about his silver and goldsmithing, "There's a lot of artists that do it." And then he confides the reason he has set himself apart from other craftsmen. "I didn't really get anywhere until I decided to design my own style."
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?
Navajo Silver Fetish Bear Dangle Brooch - Robert Taylor (#46)
$525.00
Artist: Robert Taylor
Navajo Jewelry
1 1/2" x 2 1/4"
This bear fetish brooch by Robert Taylor features his signature motif in an unusual format. It’s made entirely of sterling silver and hand stamped with excellence. The precision he takes with his silver stamping tools is magnificent. When he comes in the Trading Post, Robert always has a smile and a joke for us. We enjoy his humor greatly, and his work isn’t bad either.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
About the artist:
Robert Taylor - Silver & Goldsmith:
"Cluster, channel, leaf, inlay, casting... I've done about everything," Robert Taylor talks about his silver and goldsmithing, "There's a lot of artists that do it." And then he confides the reason he has set himself apart from other craftsmen. "I didn't really get anywhere until I decided to design my own style."
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?
Lorraine Black
Navajo Sky People Basket - Lorraine Black (#244)
$2,495.00
Navajo Sky People Basket - Lorraine Black (#244)
$2,495.00
Artist: Lorraine Black
18 1/2" x 3" deep
Rounds: 33
Lorraine Black likes sand painting motifs and often incorporates them into her basketry. Maybe that is because of their healing powers, or maybe it’s because of the fine detail associated with this curative medicine. In either case, both these elements are apparent in her Sky People basket. Fine detail combined with careful weaving makes this an exceptionally interesting basket.
About the artist:
Inspired by dreams, Lorraine Black's skills have literally elevated basket weaving to new dimensions. Lorraine Black's infectious laugh belies the serious magic her hands conjure up when weaving a basket. Unprecedented in her ideas, Lorraine's baskets are innovative and beautiful. Many of them make good use of texture through over-stitching and the addition of objects such as flint arrowheads or horsehair.
Related legends:
Navajo Basketry
Basketry is a woman's industry, which is also pursued by the nadle (he changes), hermaphrodites, or men skilled in the arts and industries of both men and women. Basketry, however, is not classified with textile fabrics (yistl'o), but with sewing (nalkhad). It is of interest also that, while the basket is in progress, the sewer is untouched and avoided by the members of her family?
Navajo Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Cluster Bracelet - Eugene Livingston (#139)
$850.00
Artist: Eugene Livingston
Navajo Jewelry
Inner Circumference: 5 1/4"
Opening: 1 1/4"
Total: 6 1/2"
Width: 1 5/8"
Eugene Livingston is a versatile and talented artist, and his Sleeping Beauty turquoise cluster bracelets are his hallmark. He always uses heavy silver and beautiful sky blue stones to make cuffs that stand out as traditional icons. Eugene knows how to make jewelry that you can wear and enjoy for many, many years.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
Sleeping Beauty Turquoise
The Sleeping Beauty turquoise mine is located seven miles from Globe, Arizona. The mine is one of the largest producers of turquoise in North America. The mine, and the turquoise extracted from it, derives its name from Sleeping Beauty Mountain, which at one time was part of the Copper Cities operation. The center of the copper mine is located at approximately 33o24"13.23"N. 110o53'34. 60"W, at an elevation of 1224 feet. Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Mining is presently owned and operated by Monty Nichols.
For many centuries before the first Europeans made their way into Arizona, turquoise was being mined on the slopes of Sleeping Beauty Mountain. The Salado and other ancient peoples mined the beautiful sky stone from several surface outcroppings located in the vicinity, including Pinto Valley. It is believed that Spanish explorers were the first Europeans to locate the source of Sleeping Beauty sometime around the 1860s. By the 1870s, small underground mines pockmarked the hills surrounding present day Globe.
Cities Service Company started the Copper Cities Mine (commonly called the Sleeping Beauty Mine) in 1952 and operated it until the Pinto Valley mine opened in 1972. During the 1960s, L.W. Hardy had the contract to mine turquoise, both at Sleeping Beauty and at Castle Dome, later called the Pinto Valley Mine. Formerly a meat cutter at a market in Miami, Hardy recognized early on that turquoise was more valuable as a gemstone than the associated copper.
By the time the turquoise boom began, Hardy had contracts with mining companies in Miami, Kingman and elsewhere. He also developed a method for stabilizing low-grade, porous turquoise with pressure-impregnated hot acrylic resin, which hardened the stone and improved the color.
Hardy's mining methods were primitive when compared with current operations. Hardy's workers sat in a ditch ripped by a bulldozer and hand picked the stone from waste-rock. Hardy mined turquoise at Sleeping Beauty for 22 years, getting about 45 percent recovery, and leaving the rest in waste dumps.
Monty Nichols received the contract to mine Sleeping Beauty turquoise in 1988, and began using modern mining methods to develop the property. Nichols drills and blasts the overburden, hauling it to the abandoned Copper Cities pit, which now contains the recycled tailings from Miami Copper Company's No. 5 tailing dam. The old dam dominated the eastern skyline of downtown Miami until recently. The year Nichols acquired the contract; he began a two-year project to remove 5,000.000 tons of overburden. Located half way up the side of an open pit mine, the narrow turquoise-bearing zone has about 400 feet of hard waste rock on top of it. In order to move sideways into the ore-body, a whole slice of the mountain had to be removed.
To avoid fracturing the turquoise, Nichols was careful not to blast too near the turquoise-bearing strata. That layer is more crumbly, so the miners can rip it and dump it over screens, separating the material by size. No crushers are used, again to avoid fracturing the gemstone, and the different sized rock is hauled up to a wide mine bench where conveyor belts move the material through three buildings. There, workers handpick turquoise from the broken rock. The buildings are vented with filtered air to eliminate workers' exposure to dust, and well insulated to keep them comfortable in any weather. It is a far cry from the old methods of mining. Anywhere from 30 to 40 people work at the mine at any one time, depending on how much mining there is to do.
Fifty years ago, mine workers filled lunch buckets with the colorful rock, even though it was reason for immediate termination. Old habits die hard, and some people still think it is okay to sneak in and try to pick turquoise. As a result, security is tight in and around the mine. Motion detectors, night vision cameras and 24/7 roving patrols are used, so the only turquoise leaving the property now is being shipped to markets around the world.
Italy is the largest volume buyer of Sleeping Beauty turquoise, with Germany and Hong Kong following closely behind. These customers buy the best grade for their exclusive jewelry. Jewelry makers in India and Spain also receive Sleeping Beauty turquoise, while in the U.S., Gallup and Albuquerque are the largest consumers.
The Sleeping Beauty turquoise mine produces a uniform light to medium blue turquoise with rare finds of deep, dark blue. Because of its uniformity, it has been a favorite of the Zuni Pueblo. Zuni silversmiths often use it in channel inlay and various types of cluster work that require large numbers of small, perfectly matched stones. The Sleeping Beauty mine has been one of the larger producers of rough turquoise in the United States, although today much less good turquoise is being produced than in the past.
Sleeping Beauty turquoise is noted for its solid, light blue color with no matrix; the host rock is usually granite. Nichols says the mine is producing about 1,600 pounds a month. Of that, only four percent is natural; most of the turquoise from the mine is altered in some way. Most is enhanced, which is more expensive than stabilization, and sold to large distributors in this country and Europe. Currently most of the turquoise that comes from the mine is from the tons of tailings piles that have been accumulating for decades.
The best of the Sleeping Beauty turquoise is comparable to that found in the Middle East. It is thought that large quantities of Sleeping Beauty turquoise is taken overseas and smuggled into, then out of, Iran to be sold as “Persian” turquoise.
About the artist:
Eugene Livingston - Navajo Jewelry
Eugene is one of those rare artists who has mastered not just one or two methods, but a myriad of jewelry techniques. As a young man, he trained under other talented silversmiths After many decades of steady work, Eugene is skilled at metal fabrication, casting, making his own silver ingots, and most importantly for his work, the ability to cut stones. In his work below, you will see beautiful cut teardrop and pyramid cut Sleeping Beauty turquoise and coral. His two newest pieces with Carico Lake turquoise demonstrate his mastery of silver stamp work.
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?
Navajo Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Cluster Bracelet - Eugene Livingston (#141)
$850.00
Artist: Eugene Livingston
Total inner circumference including opening: 6 1/4"
Opening: 1"
Eugene Livingston has been practicing the twin arts of silversmith work and lapidary over 40 years, and we believe he has it down pat. Eugene starts the process by cutting small pieces of Sleeping Beauty turquoise, then shaping and polishing them into tiny teardrop cabochons. Next Eugene takes silver sheet, wire and bezel and crafts it into a cuff of singular beauty. He sets the stones and polishes the bracelet until it glows like a silvery moon. Skystone and moon glow is a nice way to describe Eugene's handiwork.
Sleeping Beauty Turquoise
The Sleeping Beauty turquoise mine is located seven miles from Globe, Arizona. The mine is one of the largest producers of turquoise in North America. The mine, and the turquoise extracted from it, derives its name from Sleeping Beauty Mountain, which at one time was part of the Copper Cities operation. The center of the copper mine is located at approximately 33o24"13.23"N. 110o53'34. 60"W, at an elevation of 1224 feet. Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Mining is presently owned and operated by Monty Nichols.
For many centuries before the first Europeans made their way into Arizona, turquoise was being mined on the slopes of Sleeping Beauty Mountain. The Salado and other ancient peoples mined the beautiful sky stone from several surface outcroppings located in the vicinity, including Pinto Valley. It is believed that Spanish explorers were the first Europeans to locate the source of Sleeping Beauty sometime around the 1860s. By the 1870s, small underground mines pockmarked the hills surrounding present day Globe.
Cities Service Company started the Copper Cities Mine (commonly called the Sleeping Beauty Mine) in 1952 and operated it until the Pinto Valley mine opened in 1972. During the 1960s, L.W. Hardy had the contract to mine turquoise, both at Sleeping Beauty and at Castle Dome, later called the Pinto Valley Mine. Formerly a meat cutter at a market in Miami, Hardy recognized early on that turquoise was more valuable as a gemstone than the associated copper.
By the time the turquoise boom began, Hardy had contracts with mining companies in Miami, Kingman and elsewhere. He also developed a method for stabilizing low-grade, porous turquoise with pressure-impregnated hot acrylic resin, which hardened the stone and improved the color.
Hardy's mining methods were primitive when compared with current operations. Hardy's workers sat in a ditch ripped by a bulldozer and hand picked the stone from waste-rock. Hardy mined turquoise at Sleeping Beauty for 22 years, getting about 45 percent recovery, and leaving the rest in waste dumps.
Monty Nichols received the contract to mine Sleeping Beauty turquoise in 1988, and began using modern mining methods to develop the property. Nichols drills and blasts the overburden, hauling it to the abandoned Copper Cities pit, which now contains the recycled tailings from Miami Copper Company's No. 5 tailing dam. The old dam dominated the eastern skyline of downtown Miami until recently. The year Nichols acquired the contract; he began a two-year project to remove 5,000.000 tons of overburden. Located half way up the side of an open pit mine, the narrow turquoise-bearing zone has about 400 feet of hard waste rock on top of it. In order to move sideways into the ore-body, a whole slice of the mountain had to be removed.
To avoid fracturing the turquoise, Nichols was careful not to blast too near the turquoise-bearing strata. That layer is more crumbly, so the miners can rip it and dump it over screens, separating the material by size. No crushers are used, again to avoid fracturing the gemstone, and the different sized rock is hauled up to a wide mine bench where conveyor belts move the material through three buildings. There, workers handpick turquoise from the broken rock. The buildings are vented with filtered air to eliminate workers' exposure to dust, and well insulated to keep them comfortable in any weather. It is a far cry from the old methods of mining. Anywhere from 30 to 40 people work at the mine at any one time, depending on how much mining there is to do.
Fifty years ago, mine workers filled lunch buckets with the colorful rock, even though it was reason for immediate termination. Old habits die hard, and some people still think it is okay to sneak in and try to pick turquoise. As a result, security is tight in and around the mine. Motion detectors, night vision cameras and 24/7 roving patrols are used, so the only turquoise leaving the property now is being shipped to markets around the world.
Italy is the largest volume buyer of Sleeping Beauty turquoise, with Germany and Hong Kong following closely behind. These customers buy the best grade for their exclusive jewelry. Jewelry makers in India and Spain also receive Sleeping Beauty turquoise, while in the U.S., Gallup and Albuquerque are the largest consumers.
The Sleeping Beauty turquoise mine produces a uniform light to medium blue turquoise with rare finds of deep, dark blue. Because of its uniformity, it has been a favorite of the Zuni Pueblo. Zuni silversmiths often use it in channel inlay and various types of cluster work that require large numbers of small, perfectly matched stones. The Sleeping Beauty mine has been one of the larger producers of rough turquoise in the United States, although today much less good turquoise is being produced than in the past.
Sleeping Beauty turquoise is noted for its solid, light blue color with no matrix; the host rock is usually granite. Nichols says the mine is producing about 1,600 pounds a month. Of that, only four percent is natural; most of the turquoise from the mine is altered in some way. Most is enhanced, which is more expensive than stabilization, and sold to large distributors in this country and Europe. Currently most of the turquoise that comes from the mine is from the tons of tailings piles that have been accumulating for decades.
The best of the Sleeping Beauty turquoise is comparable to that found in the Middle East. It is thought that large quantities of Sleeping Beauty turquoise is taken overseas and smuggled into, then out of, Iran to be sold as “Persian” turquoise.
About the artist:
Eugene Livingston - Navajo Jewelry
Eugene is one of those rare artists who has mastered not just one or two methods, but a myriad of jewelry techniques. As a young man, he trained under other talented silversmiths After many decades of steady work, Eugene is skilled at metal fabrication, casting, making his own silver ingots, and most importantly for his work, the ability to cut stones. In his work below, you will see beautiful cut teardrop and pyramid cut Sleeping Beauty turquoise and coral. His two newest pieces with Carico Lake turquoise demonstrate his mastery of silver stamp work.
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?
Navajo Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Feather Design Buckle - Charlie John (#03)
$450.00
Artist: Charlie John
Navajo Jewelry
3 3/4" x 2 3/4"
Navajo silversmith Charlie John is a real character with real character. When he comes into the trading post he always brightens our mood with his happy disposition and his quality art. In this case he had brought us a precisely stamped and cleanly fabricated belt buckle adorned with a cabochon of Sleeping Beauty turquoise. Strap this on your waist and get noticed.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
Sleeping Beauty Turquoise
The Sleeping Beauty turquoise mine is located seven miles from Globe, Arizona. The mine is one of the largest producers of turquoise in North America. The mine, and the turquoise extracted from it, derives its name from Sleeping Beauty Mountain, which at one time was part of the Copper Cities operation. The center of the copper mine is located at approximately 33o24"13.23"N. 110o53'34. 60"W, at an elevation of 1224 feet. Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Mining is presently owned and operated by Monty Nichols.
For many centuries before the first Europeans made their way into Arizona, turquoise was being mined on the slopes of Sleeping Beauty Mountain. The Salado and other ancient peoples mined the beautiful sky stone from several surface outcroppings located in the vicinity, including Pinto Valley. It is believed that Spanish explorers were the first Europeans to locate the source of Sleeping Beauty sometime around the 1860s. By the 1870s, small underground mines pockmarked the hills surrounding present day Globe.
Cities Service Company started the Copper Cities Mine (commonly called the Sleeping Beauty Mine) in 1952 and operated it until the Pinto Valley mine opened in 1972. During the 1960s, L.W. Hardy had the contract to mine turquoise, both at Sleeping Beauty and at Castle Dome, later called the Pinto Valley Mine. Formerly a meat cutter at a market in Miami, Hardy recognized early on that turquoise was more valuable as a gemstone than the associated copper.
By the time the turquoise boom began, Hardy had contracts with mining companies in Miami, Kingman and elsewhere. He also developed a method for stabilizing low-grade, porous turquoise with pressure-impregnated hot acrylic resin, which hardened the stone and improved the color.
Hardy's mining methods were primitive when compared with current operations. Hardy's workers sat in a ditch ripped by a bulldozer and hand picked the stone from waste-rock. Hardy mined turquoise at Sleeping Beauty for 22 years, getting about 45 percent recovery, and leaving the rest in waste dumps.
Monty Nichols received the contract to mine Sleeping Beauty turquoise in 1988, and began using modern mining methods to develop the property. Nichols drills and blasts the overburden, hauling it to the abandoned Copper Cities pit, which now contains the recycled tailings from Miami Copper Company's No. 5 tailing dam. The old dam dominated the eastern skyline of downtown Miami until recently. The year Nichols acquired the contract; he began a two-year project to remove 5,000.000 tons of overburden. Located half way up the side of an open pit mine, the narrow turquoise-bearing zone has about 400 feet of hard waste rock on top of it. In order to move sideways into the ore-body, a whole slice of the mountain had to be removed.
To avoid fracturing the turquoise, Nichols was careful not to blast too near the turquoise-bearing strata. That layer is more crumbly, so the miners can rip it and dump it over screens, separating the material by size. No crushers are used, again to avoid fracturing the gemstone, and the different sized rock is hauled up to a wide mine bench where conveyor belts move the material through three buildings. There, workers handpick turquoise from the broken rock. The buildings are vented with filtered air to eliminate workers' exposure to dust, and well insulated to keep them comfortable in any weather. It is a far cry from the old methods of mining. Anywhere from 30 to 40 people work at the mine at any one time, depending on how much mining there is to do.
Fifty years ago, mine workers filled lunch buckets with the colorful rock, even though it was reason for immediate termination. Old habits die hard, and some people still think it is okay to sneak in and try to pick turquoise. As a result, security is tight in and around the mine. Motion detectors, night vision cameras and 24/7 roving patrols are used, so the only turquoise leaving the property now is being shipped to markets around the world.
Italy is the largest volume buyer of Sleeping Beauty turquoise, with Germany and Hong Kong following closely behind. These customers buy the best grade for their exclusive jewelry. Jewelry makers in India and Spain also receive Sleeping Beauty turquoise, while in the U.S., Gallup and Albuquerque are the largest consumers.
The Sleeping Beauty turquoise mine produces a uniform light to medium blue turquoise with rare finds of deep, dark blue. Because of its uniformity, it has been a favorite of the Zuni Pueblo. Zuni silversmiths often use it in channel inlay and various types of cluster work that require large numbers of small, perfectly matched stones. The Sleeping Beauty mine has been one of the larger producers of rough turquoise in the United States, although today much less good turquoise is being produced than in the past.
Sleeping Beauty turquoise is noted for its solid, light blue color with no matrix; the host rock is usually granite. Nichols says the mine is producing about 1,600 pounds a month. Of that, only four percent is natural; most of the turquoise from the mine is altered in some way. Most is enhanced, which is more expensive than stabilization, and sold to large distributors in this country and Europe. Currently most of the turquoise that comes from the mine is from the tons of tailings piles that have been accumulating for decades.
The best of the Sleeping Beauty turquoise is comparable to that found in the Middle East. It is thought that large quantities of Sleeping Beauty turquoise is taken overseas and smuggled into, then out of, Iran to be sold as “Persian” turquoise.
About the artist:
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?
Navajo Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Pendant - Derrick Gordon (#07)
$935.00
Artist: Derrick Gordon
Navajo Jewelry
1 3/4" x 3"
This wonderful piece of Sleeping Beauty turquoise has been sitting in a safe since 1976. At that time Sleeping Beauty was readily available and was being cut and set in jewelry on a regular basis. When cutting turquoise, there are times when a stone stands out and captures your interest and imagination. This was just such a stone. Thus the reason it was set back. We recently rediscovered this beautiful natural stone and had Navajo silversmith Derrick Gordon create a setting around it. It turned out wonderfully. The setting is completely hand-fabricated. Using sterling silver sheet, twisted square wire and cold steel stamps, Derrick has fashioned scalloped and bumped out accents to wrap around the turquoise. Nicely done.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
Sleeping Beauty Turquoise
The Sleeping Beauty turquoise mine is located seven miles from Globe, Arizona. The mine is one of the largest producers of turquoise in North America. The mine, and the turquoise extracted from it, derives its name from Sleeping Beauty Mountain, which at one time was part of the Copper Cities operation. The center of the copper mine is located at approximately 33o24"13.23"N. 110o53'34. 60"W, at an elevation of 1224 feet. Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Mining is presently owned and operated by Monty Nichols.
For many centuries before the first Europeans made their way into Arizona, turquoise was being mined on the slopes of Sleeping Beauty Mountain. The Salado and other ancient peoples mined the beautiful sky stone from several surface outcroppings located in the vicinity, including Pinto Valley. It is believed that Spanish explorers were the first Europeans to locate the source of Sleeping Beauty sometime around the 1860s. By the 1870s, small underground mines pockmarked the hills surrounding present day Globe.
Cities Service Company started the Copper Cities Mine (commonly called the Sleeping Beauty Mine) in 1952 and operated it until the Pinto Valley mine opened in 1972. During the 1960s, L.W. Hardy had the contract to mine turquoise, both at Sleeping Beauty and at Castle Dome, later called the Pinto Valley Mine. Formerly a meat cutter at a market in Miami, Hardy recognized early on that turquoise was more valuable as a gemstone than the associated copper.
By the time the turquoise boom began, Hardy had contracts with mining companies in Miami, Kingman and elsewhere. He also developed a method for stabilizing low-grade, porous turquoise with pressure-impregnated hot acrylic resin, which hardened the stone and improved the color.
Hardy's mining methods were primitive when compared with current operations. Hardy's workers sat in a ditch ripped by a bulldozer and hand picked the stone from waste-rock. Hardy mined turquoise at Sleeping Beauty for 22 years, getting about 45 percent recovery, and leaving the rest in waste dumps.
Monty Nichols received the contract to mine Sleeping Beauty turquoise in 1988, and began using modern mining methods to develop the property. Nichols drills and blasts the overburden, hauling it to the abandoned Copper Cities pit, which now contains the recycled tailings from Miami Copper Company's No. 5 tailing dam. The old dam dominated the eastern skyline of downtown Miami until recently. The year Nichols acquired the contract; he began a two-year project to remove 5,000.000 tons of overburden. Located half way up the side of an open pit mine, the narrow turquoise-bearing zone has about 400 feet of hard waste rock on top of it. In order to move sideways into the ore-body, a whole slice of the mountain had to be removed.
To avoid fracturing the turquoise, Nichols was careful not to blast too near the turquoise-bearing strata. That layer is more crumbly, so the miners can rip it and dump it over screens, separating the material by size. No crushers are used, again to avoid fracturing the gemstone, and the different sized rock is hauled up to a wide mine bench where conveyor belts move the material through three buildings. There, workers handpick turquoise from the broken rock. The buildings are vented with filtered air to eliminate workers' exposure to dust, and well insulated to keep them comfortable in any weather. It is a far cry from the old methods of mining. Anywhere from 30 to 40 people work at the mine at any one time, depending on how much mining there is to do.
Fifty years ago, mine workers filled lunch buckets with the colorful rock, even though it was reason for immediate termination. Old habits die hard, and some people still think it is okay to sneak in and try to pick turquoise. As a result, security is tight in and around the mine. Motion detectors, night vision cameras and 24/7 roving patrols are used, so the only turquoise leaving the property now is being shipped to markets around the world.
Italy is the largest volume buyer of Sleeping Beauty turquoise, with Germany and Hong Kong following closely behind. These customers buy the best grade for their exclusive jewelry. Jewelry makers in India and Spain also receive Sleeping Beauty turquoise, while in the U.S., Gallup and Albuquerque are the largest consumers.
The Sleeping Beauty turquoise mine produces a uniform light to medium blue turquoise with rare finds of deep, dark blue. Because of its uniformity, it has been a favorite of the Zuni Pueblo. Zuni silversmiths often use it in channel inlay and various types of cluster work that require large numbers of small, perfectly matched stones. The Sleeping Beauty mine has been one of the larger producers of rough turquoise in the United States, although today much less good turquoise is being produced than in the past.
Sleeping Beauty turquoise is noted for its solid, light blue color with no matrix; the host rock is usually granite. Nichols says the mine is producing about 1,600 pounds a month. Of that, only four percent is natural; most of the turquoise from the mine is altered in some way. Most is enhanced, which is more expensive than stabilization, and sold to large distributors in this country and Europe. Currently most of the turquoise that comes from the mine is from the tons of tailings piles that have been accumulating for decades.
The best of the Sleeping Beauty turquoise is comparable to that found in the Middle East. It is thought that large quantities of Sleeping Beauty turquoise is taken overseas and smuggled into, then out of, Iran to be sold as “Persian” turquoise.
About the artist:
At the age of nineteen, Derrick Gordon sat down at the bench with his uncle, Delbert Gordon, and a promising new career was launched. Derrick was born and raised in Gallup, New Mexico. He came into this world in 1971, but it was not until 1990 that he began to bless us with his unique style of Navajo silver jewelry.
Related legends:
Precious Stones
Turquoise; Precious stones have symbolic implications. For example, turquoise if a "collective term for all the precious stones, wealth, or mixed offerings. Good fortune is attributed to this stone." Both white shell and turquoise are emphasized in Kinaalda? More about this legend
Navajo Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Sterling Silver Pendant - Will Denetdale (#255)
$365.00
Artist: Will Denetdale
Navajo Jewelry
1 1/8" x 1 1/2"
Sleeping Beauty turquoise from Globe, Arizona has become much more collectible as of late. The mine has closed and prices are rising. Surely Will Denetdale was thinking of that when he selected this particularly nice specimen. It’s a choice piece of natural gem grade quality with all sterling silver that makes this pendant a knockout. Always the stickler for clean silversmith work, Will has stuck to that plan and made a cleanly beautiful pendant. Get it while it’s hot.
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Sleeping Beauty Turquoise
The Sleeping Beauty turquoise mine is located seven miles from Globe, Arizona. The mine is one of the largest producers of turquoise in North America. The mine, and the turquoise extracted from it, derives its name from Sleeping Beauty Mountain, which at one time was part of the Copper Cities operation. The center of the copper mine is located at approximately 33o24"13.23"N. 110o53'34. 60"W, at an elevation of 1224 feet. Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Mining is presently owned and operated by Monty Nichols.
For many centuries before the first Europeans made their way into Arizona, turquoise was being mined on the slopes of Sleeping Beauty Mountain. The Salado and other ancient peoples mined the beautiful sky stone from several surface outcroppings located in the vicinity, including Pinto Valley. It is believed that Spanish explorers were the first Europeans to locate the source of Sleeping Beauty sometime around the 1860s. By the 1870s, small underground mines pockmarked the hills surrounding present day Globe.
Cities Service Company started the Copper Cities Mine (commonly called the Sleeping Beauty Mine) in 1952 and operated it until the Pinto Valley mine opened in 1972. During the 1960s, L.W. Hardy had the contract to mine turquoise, both at Sleeping Beauty and at Castle Dome, later called the Pinto Valley Mine. Formerly a meat cutter at a market in Miami, Hardy recognized early on that turquoise was more valuable as a gemstone than the associated copper.
By the time the turquoise boom began, Hardy had contracts with mining companies in Miami, Kingman and elsewhere. He also developed a method for stabilizing low-grade, porous turquoise with pressure-impregnated hot acrylic resin, which hardened the stone and improved the color.
Hardy's mining methods were primitive when compared with current operations. Hardy's workers sat in a ditch ripped by a bulldozer and hand picked the stone from waste-rock. Hardy mined turquoise at Sleeping Beauty for 22 years, getting about 45 percent recovery, and leaving the rest in waste dumps.
Monty Nichols received the contract to mine Sleeping Beauty turquoise in 1988, and began using modern mining methods to develop the property. Nichols drills and blasts the overburden, hauling it to the abandoned Copper Cities pit, which now contains the recycled tailings from Miami Copper Company's No. 5 tailing dam. The old dam dominated the eastern skyline of downtown Miami until recently. The year Nichols acquired the contract; he began a two-year project to remove 5,000.000 tons of overburden. Located half way up the side of an open pit mine, the narrow turquoise-bearing zone has about 400 feet of hard waste rock on top of it. In order to move sideways into the ore-body, a whole slice of the mountain had to be removed.
To avoid fracturing the turquoise, Nichols was careful not to blast too near the turquoise-bearing strata. That layer is more crumbly, so the miners can rip it and dump it over screens, separating the material by size. No crushers are used, again to avoid fracturing the gemstone, and the different sized rock is hauled up to a wide mine bench where conveyor belts move the material through three buildings. There, workers handpick turquoise from the broken rock. The buildings are vented with filtered air to eliminate workers' exposure to dust, and well insulated to keep them comfortable in any weather. It is a far cry from the old methods of mining. Anywhere from 30 to 40 people work at the mine at any one time, depending on how much mining there is to do.
Fifty years ago, mine workers filled lunch buckets with the colorful rock, even though it was reason for immediate termination. Old habits die hard, and some people still think it is okay to sneak in and try to pick turquoise. As a result, security is tight in and around the mine. Motion detectors, night vision cameras and 24/7 roving patrols are used, so the only turquoise leaving the property now is being shipped to markets around the world.
Italy is the largest volume buyer of Sleeping Beauty turquoise, with Germany and Hong Kong following closely behind. These customers buy the best grade for their exclusive jewelry. Jewelry makers in India and Spain also receive Sleeping Beauty turquoise, while in the U.S., Gallup and Albuquerque are the largest consumers.
The Sleeping Beauty turquoise mine produces a uniform light to medium blue turquoise with rare finds of deep, dark blue. Because of its uniformity, it has been a favorite of the Zuni Pueblo. Zuni silversmiths often use it in channel inlay and various types of cluster work that require large numbers of small, perfectly matched stones. The Sleeping Beauty mine has been one of the larger producers of rough turquoise in the United States, although today much less good turquoise is being produced than in the past.
Sleeping Beauty turquoise is noted for its solid, light blue color with no matrix; the host rock is usually granite. Nichols says the mine is producing about 1,600 pounds a month. Of that, only four percent is natural; most of the turquoise from the mine is altered in some way. Most is enhanced, which is more expensive than stabilization, and sold to large distributors in this country and Europe. Currently most of the turquoise that comes from the mine is from the tons of tailings piles that have been accumulating for decades.
The best of the Sleeping Beauty turquoise is comparable to that found in the Middle East. It is thought that large quantities of Sleeping Beauty turquoise is taken overseas and smuggled into, then out of, Iran to be sold as “Persian” turquoise.
About the artist:
Will Denetdale - Navajo Jewelry:
One of the most talented Navajo gold and silversmiths currently producing jewelry, Will Denetdale is making an indelible mark in the world of Native American art. His name is becoming famous in his trade; his art a standard by which other pieces may be judged. Will's success as an artist is proportionate to his devotion, and Will Denetdale lives to make jewelry.
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?
Marcelda Johnson
Navajo Snowflake Design Weaving - Marcelda Johnson (#01)
$800.00
Navajo Snowflake Design Weaving - Marcelda Johnson (#01)
$800.00
Artist: Marcelda Johnson
Snowflake rugs remind us of winter, snow on the ground and the holidays in the air. They do, however, look good any time of the year. Maybe that is why Marcelda Johnson likes to weave them whenever she can. Since they are unusual, we are always pleased when Marcelda shows up at the trading post.
Related legends:
Weaving
After the medicine woman told the people about the prayersticks she told them that there was a place in the underworld where two rivers crossed. It was called ni tqin'kae tsosi, fine fiber cotton (Indian hemp). There were two persons who brought the seed of that plant, they were spiders. They said that the people were to use the plant instead of skins for their clothing. So this seed was planted in the earth? More about this legend
Navajo Solar Eclipse Basket Set - Elsie Holiday (#380)
$7,975.00
Artist: Elsie Holiday
Navajo Baskets
Set of 5:
Largest: 14" x 1 1/2" deep
Rounds: 22
Elsie Holiday has been studying solar eclipses lately. It is no surprise then that her latest weavings follow that theme. In this five basket set, Elsie shows us each phase if this sacred occurrence. This series is hot!
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
About the artist:
Considered one of the best Navajo basket weavers, Elsie Stone Holiday married into the famed Douglas Mesa family of weavers. Weaving baskets has become almost an addiction for her. "When I go two or three days without weaving I get anxious to get started again," she says. She weaves 12 hours a day, 5 days a week. "Sometimes I think, 'How long can this last?'", she wistfully states, but for now she is content with her art, finding immense satisfaction in creating premier quality baskets.
Related legends:
Moon
The Navajo say that "the moon was given to the whites . . . in the beginning of life on this earth." They reason that "it belongs to the white people" because it "has a nose and mouth with a face of a white man;" also it "is like the white people's skin, transparent." ? More about this legend
Sun
The morning after their arrival the sun rises as a red glare indicating danger. Pg. 206, Flint Way.
The attack proceeds, and they fight even in the village. Two of Sun's children are killed, and Sun rises red and trembling until the perfect shell discs in which they were dressed are recovered for him? More about this legend
Navajo Spider Web Kingman Turquoise Pendant - Will Denetdale (#217)
$600.00
Artist: Will Denetdale
Navajo Jewelry
1 1/4" x 2"
Spiderwoman is the deity who taught Navajo rug and blanket weavers to weave. Her influence can also be seen in this beautiful pendant by Navajo craftsman Will Denetdale. The necklace features a generous piece of spiderweb Kingman that will make any turquoise collector spin tales of desire. Turquoise of this quality is becoming more and more rare, so don’t miss out.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
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 1880πs 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
About the artist:
Will Denetdale - Navajo Jewelry:
One of the most talented Navajo gold and silversmiths currently producing jewelry, Will Denetdale is making an indelible mark in the world of Native American art. His name is becoming famous in his trade; his art a standard by which other pieces may be judged. Will's success as an artist is proportionate to his devotion, and Will Denetdale lives to make jewelry.
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?
Navajo Spider Woman Ceremonial Basket - Fannie King (#92)
$625.00
Artist: Fannie King
12 1/2" x 2" deep
Rounds: 24
Fannie King loves to weave, and, when it comes to basketry, she is amazing. This weaving is graced with an old design that pays tribute to Spider Woman and Spider Man. Spider Woman taught the Navajo their weaving skills and Spider Man provided necessary tools to do the work. Fannie learned her craft from her mother's family and took that training seriously; she really gets the job done. For exceptionally clean and symmetrical basket weaving you need look no further than Fannie King.
About the artist:
Related legends:
Spider Woman
"Spider Woman instructed the Navajo women how to weave on a loom which Spider Man told them how to make. The crosspoles were made of sky and earth cords, the warp sticks of sun rays, the healds of rock crystal and sheet lightning. The batten was a sun halo, white shell made the comb. There were four spindles: one a stick of zigzag lightning with a whorl of cannel coal; one a stick of flash lightning with a whorl of turquoise; a third had a stick of sheet lightning with a whorl of abalone; a rain streamer formed the stick of the fourth, and its whorl was white shell."? More about this legend
Navajo Ceremonial Baskets
The Navajo wedding basket also reflects many values of traditional life and so often contains all six sacred mountains, including Huerfano and Gobernador Knob, though the size of the basket may determine the numher of mountains in the design. The center spot in the basket represents the beginning of this world, where the Navajo people emerged from a reed? More about this legend
Navajo Spiders & Snakes Basket - Lorraine Black (#254)
$3,250.00
Artist: Lorraine Black
22 3/4" x 2 1/4" deep
Rounds: 42
Spiders and Snakes, oh my! Images of creatures such as these are rarely placed on Navajo art because they are exceedingly powerful, and most artists dare not tempt fate. To upset their volatile nature is to cause chaotic reaction. To honor them in an acceptable manner, however, can bring about great favor. Lorraine Black has been through a Blessing Way ceremony to cleanse her mind and thought. She also has enough confidence in her abilities to believe she can bring about a benevolent reaction through her tribute to these powers that be. We believe she is correct in that assumption. Amazing!
About the artist:
Inspired by dreams, Lorraine Black's skills have literally elevated basket weaving to new dimensions. Lorraine Black's infectious laugh belies the serious magic her hands conjure up when weaving a basket. Unprecedented in her ideas, Lorraine's baskets are innovative and beautiful. Many of them make good use of texture through over-stitching and the addition of objects such as flint arrowheads or horsehair.
See full biography | See all items by Lorraine Black
Related legends:
Big Snake - Navajo Mythological Creature
This mythological creature is prominent in the legend of Navaho Windway so it is fitting that the majority of naturalistic snake sandpaintings in collections are of this short, thick, often horned and feathered beast. Moreover, Big Snakes function as guardians in other types of sandpaintings. Besides their horns and feathers signifying power and speed, red spots on their heads symbolize their dangerous venom, and speckled bodies make them more terrifying?
Spider Woman
"Spider Woman instructed the Navajo women how to weave on a loom which Spider Man told them how to make. The crosspoles were made of sky and earth cords, the warp sticks of sun rays, the healds of rock crystal and sheet lightning. The batten was a sun halo, white shell made the comb. There were four spindles: one a stick of zigzag lightning with a whorl of cannel coal; one a stick of flash lightning with a whorl of turquoise; a third had a stick of sheet lightning with a whorl of abalone; a rain streamer formed the stick of the fourth, and its whorl was white shell."? More about this legend
Navajo Spirit of the Raven Rug - Carmelita Sagg (#14)
$2,500.00
Artist: Carmelita Sagg
About the artist:
Related legends:
Weaving
After the medicine woman told the people about the prayersticks she told them that there was a place in the underworld where two rivers crossed. It was called ni tqin'kae tsosi, fine fiber cotton (Indian hemp). There were two persons who brought the seed of that plant, they were spiders. They said that the people were to use the plant instead of skins for their clothing. So this seed was planted in the earth? More about this legend
Navajo Square Bead Sterling Silver Necklace and Earrings Set - Jack Tom (#07)
$625.00
Artist: Jack Tom
Navajo Jewelry
Necklace: 17 1/2" long
Earrings: 2 1/4" long
Jack Tom has refined the quality of his hand made beads to an extremely high standard. This well practiced Navajo silversmith has discovered a technique that helps him to accomplish superior sets of beads (AKA "Navajo Pearls".) Jack creates each bead individually with a concentrated mind and a keen eye focused on attention to detail. Jacks beads are fine and finished and will add a lustrous and lovely look to any neckline.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
About the artist:
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?
Navajo Squash Blossom #8 Turquoise Necklace - Trent Lee (#01)
$1,800.00
Artist: Trent Lee
Navajo Jewelry
Chain: 24"
Pendant: 1 1/2" x 1 3/4"
Squash blossom necklaces have been an integral part of the Navajo culture a long time, and Allison Lee’s work has been an important part of our collections for a long time. Allison makes some of the best Southwest jewelry you will find. In this case he has located a nice piece of Number 8 turquoise and matched it with his unbeatable silver work. Nice? No, it is much better than that! Spectacular is a more appropriate way to describe this all hand-made piece.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
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?
Navajo Stained Glass Window Basket - Joann Johnson (#117)
$2,495.00
Artist: Joann Johnson
17 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Rounds: 32
Joann Johnson is highly adept at representing variations of light and color through her art of basketry. Years ago Joann was gifted a Kaleidoscope and the rest, as they say, is history. Joann also lives on the eastern edge of Monument Valley so visions of diffused and deflected light are not uncommon in her world. To view Joann's basket is to witness the dawn, dusk and versions of stained glass through her eyes.
About the artist:
A fourth generation Navajo basket weaver, Joann Johnson has a passionate awareness of her heritage and history. Born and raised in Monument Valley, she has spent her life in the Navajo heartland, surrounded by the sacred mountains and monuments that tell the stories of her people's past.
Related legends:
Wickerwork
The carrying basket is even less frequently seen than the water jar. tsizis (tsi, hair, and zis, or azis, a bag or pouch, from the mode of carrying it over the hair of the forehead) is used at present for gathering the hashkan, or yucca fruit, for syrup. The baskets are plaited of willow twigs much after the style of our own baskets, but have neither handle nor finished rim? More about this legend
Elsie Holiday
Navajo Star Bull Basket - Elsie Holiday (#395)
$3,750.00
Navajo Star Bull Basket - Elsie Holiday (#395)
$3,750.00
Artist: Elsie Holiday
Navajo Basket
17" x 19" x 3 1/2" deep
Rounds: 25
Dola is the word for Bull in the Navajo language and a Bull, to a Navajo, is quite a valuable commodity. For centuries the Navajo people have discerned their wealth by way of livestock. The more sheep, horses and cows one has the wealthier they are. To own a bull would be cause for celebration because that would mean perpetuation of the herd was assured. Elsie Holiday and her family have a small herd of cows and one feisty little, old bull. Maybe Elsie is desirous of a big, healthy bovine to help expand her brood of rangy roustabouts. Whatever the case we are happy Elsie saw fit to share her thoughts and creation with us.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
About the artist:
Considered one of the best Navajo basket weavers, Elsie Stone Holiday married into the famed Douglas Mesa family of weavers. Weaving baskets has become almost an addiction for her. "When I go two or three days without weaving I get anxious to get started again," she says. She weaves 12 hours a day, 5 days a week. "Sometimes I think, 'How long can this last?'", she wistfully states, but for now she is content with her art, finding immense satisfaction in creating premier quality baskets.
Related legends:
Navajo Basketry
Basketry is a woman's industry, which is also pursued by the nadle (he changes), hermaphrodites, or men skilled in the arts and industries of both men and women. Basketry, however, is not classified with textile fabrics (yistl'o), but with sewing (nalkhad). It is of interest also that, while the basket is in progress, the sewer is untouched and avoided by the members of her family?
Navajo Star-light Star-bright Basket Set - Elsie Holiday (#084)
$2,750.00
Artist: Elsie Holiday
Navajo Baskets
12" x 3/4" deep
Rounds: 35
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
About the artist:
Considered one of the best Navajo basket weavers, Elsie Stone Holiday married into the famed Douglas Mesa family of weavers. Weaving baskets has become almost an addiction for her. "When I go two or three days without weaving I get anxious to get started again," she says. She weaves 12 hours a day, 5 days a week. "Sometimes I think, 'How long can this last?'", she wistfully states, but for now she is content with her art, finding immense satisfaction in creating premier quality baskets.
Related legends:
Stars
The division of the year into twelve months may also have been superimposed on traditional Navajo concepts. This may be why only some of the months have specific constellations associated with them. Four of the months were said to have feather headdresses? More about this legend
Navajo Sterling Duvell Kingman Turquoise Pendant/Brooch - Vivian Barbone (#01)
$825.00
Artist: Vivian Barbone
Navajo Jewelry
3 1/4" x 1 1/2"
Vivian Barbone has taken ten beautiful blue cabochons of high-grade natural "Duvall" Kingman turquoise and placed them in a traditional style pendant/broach. Gathering this many matching stones is a trick in and of its self. You cannot believe how much of a difference the color of turquoise varies, even when it has formed only a few inches apart. Navajo women once commonly wore large cluster pins such as this. They used them as filler between strands of a squash blossom necklace or beads.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
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:
Precious Stones
Turquoise; Precious stones have symbolic implications. For example, turquoise if a "collective term for all the precious stones, wealth, or mixed offerings. Good fortune is attributed to this stone." Both white shell and turquoise are emphasized in Kinaalda? More about this legend
Navajo Sterling Silver & Kingman Turquoise Bolo Tie - Leo Francis (#09)
$650.00
Artist: Leo Francis
Stone: .75" x 1.13"
Bolo: 1.60" x 2.33"
Strap: 38"
Leo Francis made this bolo tie in the late 1980s. At the time he was working for us in a shop we had in Blanding, the town just north of Bluff. The very attractive turquoise stone was cut from rough material we purchased from the Hardys in Kingman, Arizona. Back then the Kingman mine was still producing great turquoise. Leo is a fabulous silversmith, and this bolo exhibits his design and execution skills.
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?
Navajo Sterling Silver & Royston Turquoise Bracelet - Derrick Gordon (#23)
$900.00
Artist: Derrick Gordon
Navajo Jewerly
Inner Circumference: 5 1/2"
Opening: 1 1/4"
Total: 6 3/4"
Width: 7/8"
Navajo artist, Derrick Gordon, has hammered, stamped, filed, bumped-out, shaped, set, polished and antiqued his way to an extremely nice cuff bracelet. High-grade natural Royston turquoise from the great state of Nevada, USA sits at the pinnacle of this piece of jewelry. Derrick has created a classic piece of jewelry with this bracelet.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
Royston Turquoise
The Royston Mining District lies on the Nye-Esmerelda County line, about 24 miles northwest of Tonopah, Nevada. In this area, turquoise mines are scattered for nearly a mile along a shallow canyon. Because it involves many small producers, the Royston district is one of the better-known turquoise mining areas in Nevada. Three of the district's more important turquoise mines are the Royal Blue, Bunker Hill and the Oscar Wehrend.
The Royal Blue mine constitutes the main turquoise workings in the district. This turquoise shows as fine-grained, altered porphyry, which is soft in places, although much of it has been hardened by silification. The turquoise is found principally in veinlets and seams, with minor lenses and nodules. The veinlets and lenses range from a fraction of an inch to more than an inch in thickness. Masses of turquoise, filling brecciated matrix, have, however, been found more than five inches thick. Lens shaped pieces of turquoise weighing an ounce or two are not uncommon, and one piece weighing nearly a pound and a half were found.
Royston turquoise ranges in color from dark and pale blue to various shades of green. Some of the dark blue turquoise has a slightly greenish cast, and some is nearly pure blue in color. The dark blue turquoise and that with a greenish cast are very fine grained and hard; the lighter colored ore is generally softer. The best turquoise is often found in limonite stained rock, and the pale blue, softer turquoise is found in light colored, softer porphyry. The quality of the best pure blue stones from the Royal Blue is equal to that found in any American mine and the matrix is especially fine.
The hard turquoise veins and nuggets are coated with a crust or stain of dark to light shading, and at times include a yellow limonite. This stain penetrates the turquoise along seams and branching cracks, producing attractive patterns and contrasts of color. Some large specimens have consisted of a patchwork of dark blue with a slightly greenish tint, marked in places with a very dark red-brown matrix. These cut gems can exhibit exceedingly wide variations of shading, and the matrix contrasts are often striking. Great spider webbing in green or blue nuggets and unusual scenic turquoise pieces are a hallmark of Royston
Two prospectors named Workman and Davis, who later sold the mine to William Petry for $3,000.00, discovered the mine in 1902. Petry improved the mine to the point of assuring its production, and, in 1907, sold it to The Himalaya Mining Co., which was owned by Julius Tannenbaum of Los Angeles and New York. Tannenbaum owned a number of mines in Nevada and California. During 1908 and 1909, the property was systematically and actively worked under the directions of Julius Goldsmith, Tanenbaum's son-in-law. Tannenbaum died suddenly about 1910, and Goldsmith hurried east to settle the estate. Shortly afterwards, he ordered operations abandoned and about 1911 sold the mine back to Petry. Petry and W. I. Miller, who had been Petry's mine boss, operated the mine for a time, and then leased it to Lee Hand and Bert Kopenhaver. Hand and Kopenhaver worked the mine dumps for a time, and then bought the mine outright from Petry. Kopenhaver later sold his share to Charley Bona. Hand and Bona worked the mine periodically, and in 1936 Bona sold his interest to Ted Johnson. In 1940 Johnson sold his share to Lee Hand.
The Otteson family now works the mine. The Otteson story began in 1944 with Lynn Otteson. Lynn brought his family to Nevada to mine turquoise and leased his first Royston claim from Lee Hand. At that time, Hand owned approximately 30 claims in the Royston district. The Otteson family has owned or leased turquoise claims in this district for the past 60 years. The Royal Blue mine has been one of the major turquoise producers in the state of Nevada. For some time, the mine produced as much as 1,250 pounds of turquoise a month, and several times has exceeded that amount.
Petry, at the time he sold the mine to Hand and Kopenhaver, declared that the Royal Blue had produced more gem quality turquoise than any mine in the United States. He placed the value of cut stones taken from the mine at more than $5 million. There is no adequate estimate of the value of gems produced from the mine in the years since that time.
The Bunker Hill is about half a mile north of The Royal Blue. In this mine, turquoise occurs in altered quartzite and ranges from royal blue to greenish blue with brown with white matrix. Turquoise is mainly in the form of slabs from 1/16 of an inch to a full inch thick. The mine was discovered in 1927 by Roy Palfreyman and Bert Kopenhaver, and was originally opened as a small shaft about 20 feet deep. As the turquoise was unearthed, the shaft was widened along the seam into a long stope, which was eventually opened into a glory hole. Polfreyman and Kopenhaver took out about $30,000 worth of turquoise, then sold to the owners of the Royal Blue mine, who produced about $75,000 worth of material. The mine eventually was incorporated into the Royal Blue group of claims.
The Oscar Wehrend mine, in the Royston district, is about 1/3 of a mile from the main workings of the Royal Blue. The turquoise is in highly altered rocks, where it forms seams, coatings and nodules as large as 2 inches thick. It is mostly soft, pale, and not of very good quality. Its color and hardness can, however, be improved by artificial means. Oscar Wehrend discovered the deposit in 1909, but Lee Hand conducted much of the work. Production from the property has been small.
The Royston Mine was originally worked as a silver mine in the late 1800s, Large deposits of high quality turquoise led Tiffany's of New York to incorporate quality green and blue turquoise stones from the Royston Hills into their jewelry lines prior to WWII. There was a brief surge of Royston turquoise production in the 1970s, and the Royston district is still producing limited amounts of high quality turquoise. The turquoise currently being produced from the Royston district is mined by Dean and Danny Otteson, and is coming from the Royal Royston claim.
About the artist:
At the age of nineteen, Derrick Gordon sat down at the bench with his uncle, Delbert Gordon, and a promising new career was launched. Derrick was born and raised in Gallup, New Mexico. He came into this world in 1971, but it was not until 1990 that he began to bless us with his unique style of Navajo silver jewelry.
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?
Navajo Sterling Silver & Royston Turquoise Pendant - Artie Yellowhorse (#02)
$495.00
Artist: Artie Yellowhorse
ATC
Navajo Jewelry
2 1/2" x 1 1/2"
Here at the trading post we refer to Artie's gorgeous pendent as effervescent, because it is reminiscent of sparkling soda water with a slice of lime. Navajo artist Artie Yellowhorse discovered a marvelous cabochon of super high-grade natural Royston turquoise and crafted a most wonderful setting around it. Because of the clean workmanship and outrageous color of the stone, this pendent makes us absolutely thirsty for more.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
Royston Turquoise
The Royston Mining District lies on the Nye-Esmerelda County line, about 24 miles northwest of Tonopah, Nevada. In this area, turquoise mines are scattered for nearly a mile along a shallow canyon. Because it involves many small producers, the Royston district is one of the better-known turquoise mining areas in Nevada. Three of the district's more important turquoise mines are the Royal Blue, Bunker Hill and the Oscar Wehrend.
The Royal Blue mine constitutes the main turquoise workings in the district. This turquoise shows as fine-grained, altered porphyry, which is soft in places, although much of it has been hardened by silification. The turquoise is found principally in veinlets and seams, with minor lenses and nodules. The veinlets and lenses range from a fraction of an inch to more than an inch in thickness. Masses of turquoise, filling brecciated matrix, have, however, been found more than five inches thick. Lens shaped pieces of turquoise weighing an ounce or two are not uncommon, and one piece weighing nearly a pound and a half were found.
Royston turquoise ranges in color from dark and pale blue to various shades of green. Some of the dark blue turquoise has a slightly greenish cast, and some is nearly pure blue in color. The dark blue turquoise and that with a greenish cast are very fine grained and hard; the lighter colored ore is generally softer. The best turquoise is often found in limonite stained rock, and the pale blue, softer turquoise is found in light colored, softer porphyry. The quality of the best pure blue stones from the Royal Blue is equal to that found in any American mine and the matrix is especially fine.
The hard turquoise veins and nuggets are coated with a crust or stain of dark to light shading, and at times include a yellow limonite. This stain penetrates the turquoise along seams and branching cracks, producing attractive patterns and contrasts of color. Some large specimens have consisted of a patchwork of dark blue with a slightly greenish tint, marked in places with a very dark red-brown matrix. These cut gems can exhibit exceedingly wide variations of shading, and the matrix contrasts are often striking. Great spider webbing in green or blue nuggets and unusual scenic turquoise pieces are a hallmark of Royston
Two prospectors named Workman and Davis, who later sold the mine to William Petry for $3,000.00, discovered the mine in 1902. Petry improved the mine to the point of assuring its production, and, in 1907, sold it to The Himalaya Mining Co., which was owned by Julius Tannenbaum of Los Angeles and New York. Tannenbaum owned a number of mines in Nevada and California. During 1908 and 1909, the property was systematically and actively worked under the directions of Julius Goldsmith, Tanenbaum's son-in-law. Tannenbaum died suddenly about 1910, and Goldsmith hurried east to settle the estate. Shortly afterwards, he ordered operations abandoned and about 1911 sold the mine back to Petry. Petry and W. I. Miller, who had been Petry's mine boss, operated the mine for a time, and then leased it to Lee Hand and Bert Kopenhaver. Hand and Kopenhaver worked the mine dumps for a time, and then bought the mine outright from Petry. Kopenhaver later sold his share to Charley Bona. Hand and Bona worked the mine periodically, and in 1936 Bona sold his interest to Ted Johnson. In 1940 Johnson sold his share to Lee Hand.
The Otteson family now works the mine. The Otteson story began in 1944 with Lynn Otteson. Lynn brought his family to Nevada to mine turquoise and leased his first Royston claim from Lee Hand. At that time, Hand owned approximately 30 claims in the Royston district. The Otteson family has owned or leased turquoise claims in this district for the past 60 years. The Royal Blue mine has been one of the major turquoise producers in the state of Nevada. For some time, the mine produced as much as 1,250 pounds of turquoise a month, and several times has exceeded that amount.
Petry, at the time he sold the mine to Hand and Kopenhaver, declared that the Royal Blue had produced more gem quality turquoise than any mine in the United States. He placed the value of cut stones taken from the mine at more than $5 million. There is no adequate estimate of the value of gems produced from the mine in the years since that time.
The Bunker Hill is about half a mile north of The Royal Blue. In this mine, turquoise occurs in altered quartzite and ranges from royal blue to greenish blue with brown with white matrix. Turquoise is mainly in the form of slabs from 1/16 of an inch to a full inch thick. The mine was discovered in 1927 by Roy Palfreyman and Bert Kopenhaver, and was originally opened as a small shaft about 20 feet deep. As the turquoise was unearthed, the shaft was widened along the seam into a long stope, which was eventually opened into a glory hole. Polfreyman and Kopenhaver took out about $30,000 worth of turquoise, then sold to the owners of the Royal Blue mine, who produced about $75,000 worth of material. The mine eventually was incorporated into the Royal Blue group of claims.
The Oscar Wehrend mine, in the Royston district, is about 1/3 of a mile from the main workings of the Royal Blue. The turquoise is in highly altered rocks, where it forms seams, coatings and nodules as large as 2 inches thick. It is mostly soft, pale, and not of very good quality. Its color and hardness can, however, be improved by artificial means. Oscar Wehrend discovered the deposit in 1909, but Lee Hand conducted much of the work. Production from the property has been small.
The Royston Mine was originally worked as a silver mine in the late 1800s, Large deposits of high quality turquoise led Tiffany's of New York to incorporate quality green and blue turquoise stones from the Royston Hills into their jewelry lines prior to WWII. There was a brief surge of Royston turquoise production in the 1970s, and the Royston district is still producing limited amounts of high quality turquoise. The turquoise currently being produced from the Royston district is mined by Dean and Danny Otteson, and is coming from the Royal Royston claim.
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?
Navajo Sterling Silver & Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Buckle - Calvin Martinez (#01)
$1,350.00
Artist: Calvin Martinez
Navajo Jewelry
3 5/8" x 3 1/8"
Center Stone: 1" x 1 3/8"
As our dear old Daddy is fond of saying: "You can see that buckle coming like a headlight on a freight train." Calvin Martinez is noted for his heavy-duty silver work and his love of bright, colorful turquoise. In this case he chose a threesome of some stunning high-grade natural turquoise from the Sleeping Beauty Mountains of Globe, Arizona. Cut in the nugget style, these stones standout. Calvin built this buckle to withstand the test of time; it will be causing a commotion for a long time to come.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
Sleeping Beauty Turquoise
The Sleeping Beauty turquoise mine is located seven miles from Globe, Arizona. The mine is one of the largest producers of turquoise in North America. The mine, and the turquoise extracted from it, derives its name from Sleeping Beauty Mountain, which at one time was part of the Copper Cities operation. The center of the copper mine is located at approximately 33o24"13.23"N. 110o53'34. 60"W, at an elevation of 1224 feet. Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Mining is presently owned and operated by Monty Nichols.
For many centuries before the first Europeans made their way into Arizona, turquoise was being mined on the slopes of Sleeping Beauty Mountain. The Salado and other ancient peoples mined the beautiful sky stone from several surface outcroppings located in the vicinity, including Pinto Valley. It is believed that Spanish explorers were the first Europeans to locate the source of Sleeping Beauty sometime around the 1860s. By the 1870s, small underground mines pockmarked the hills surrounding present day Globe.
Cities Service Company started the Copper Cities Mine (commonly called the Sleeping Beauty Mine) in 1952 and operated it until the Pinto Valley mine opened in 1972. During the 1960s, L.W. Hardy had the contract to mine turquoise, both at Sleeping Beauty and at Castle Dome, later called the Pinto Valley Mine. Formerly a meat cutter at a market in Miami, Hardy recognized early on that turquoise was more valuable as a gemstone than the associated copper.
By the time the turquoise boom began, Hardy had contracts with mining companies in Miami, Kingman and elsewhere. He also developed a method for stabilizing low-grade, porous turquoise with pressure-impregnated hot acrylic resin, which hardened the stone and improved the color.
Hardy's mining methods were primitive when compared with current operations. Hardy's workers sat in a ditch ripped by a bulldozer and hand picked the stone from waste-rock. Hardy mined turquoise at Sleeping Beauty for 22 years, getting about 45 percent recovery, and leaving the rest in waste dumps.
Monty Nichols received the contract to mine Sleeping Beauty turquoise in 1988, and began using modern mining methods to develop the property. Nichols drills and blasts the overburden, hauling it to the abandoned Copper Cities pit, which now contains the recycled tailings from Miami Copper Company's No. 5 tailing dam. The old dam dominated the eastern skyline of downtown Miami until recently. The year Nichols acquired the contract; he began a two-year project to remove 5,000.000 tons of overburden. Located half way up the side of an open pit mine, the narrow turquoise-bearing zone has about 400 feet of hard waste rock on top of it. In order to move sideways into the ore-body, a whole slice of the mountain had to be removed.
To avoid fracturing the turquoise, Nichols was careful not to blast too near the turquoise-bearing strata. That layer is more crumbly, so the miners can rip it and dump it over screens, separating the material by size. No crushers are used, again to avoid fracturing the gemstone, and the different sized rock is hauled up to a wide mine bench where conveyor belts move the material through three buildings. There, workers handpick turquoise from the broken rock. The buildings are vented with filtered air to eliminate workers' exposure to dust, and well insulated to keep them comfortable in any weather. It is a far cry from the old methods of mining. Anywhere from 30 to 40 people work at the mine at any one time, depending on how much mining there is to do.
Fifty years ago, mine workers filled lunch buckets with the colorful rock, even though it was reason for immediate termination. Old habits die hard, and some people still think it is okay to sneak in and try to pick turquoise. As a result, security is tight in and around the mine. Motion detectors, night vision cameras and 24/7 roving patrols are used, so the only turquoise leaving the property now is being shipped to markets around the world.
Italy is the largest volume buyer of Sleeping Beauty turquoise, with Germany and Hong Kong following closely behind. These customers buy the best grade for their exclusive jewelry. Jewelry makers in India and Spain also receive Sleeping Beauty turquoise, while in the U.S., Gallup and Albuquerque are the largest consumers.
The Sleeping Beauty turquoise mine produces a uniform light to medium blue turquoise with rare finds of deep, dark blue. Because of its uniformity, it has been a favorite of the Zuni Pueblo. Zuni silversmiths often use it in channel inlay and various types of cluster work that require large numbers of small, perfectly matched stones. The Sleeping Beauty mine has been one of the larger producers of rough turquoise in the United States, although today much less good turquoise is being produced than in the past.
Sleeping Beauty turquoise is noted for its solid, light blue color with no matrix; the host rock is usually granite. Nichols says the mine is producing about 1,600 pounds a month. Of that, only four percent is natural; most of the turquoise from the mine is altered in some way. Most is enhanced, which is more expensive than stabilization, and sold to large distributors in this country and Europe. Currently most of the turquoise that comes from the mine is from the tons of tailings piles that have been accumulating for decades.
The best of the Sleeping Beauty turquoise is comparable to that found in the Middle East. It is thought that large quantities of Sleeping Beauty turquoise is taken overseas and smuggled into, then out of, Iran to be sold as “Persian” turquoise.
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?
Navajo Sterling Silver & Stenech Turquoise Bracelet - Toby Henderson (#035)
$900.00
Artist: Toby Henderson
Navajo Jewelry
Inner Circumference: 5 3/4"
Opening: 1 1/2"
Total: 7 1/4"
Stone: 5/8" x 3/4" – 14.3 cts
Bing, bang, boom! There was some heavy hammering going on when Toby Henderson created this bracelet. Hand stamped silver work is not easy to create; it takes a clear eye and a steady hand, not to mention a creative mind. When it comes to old style silversmithing, Toby is a master. The Stennich turquoise mine is located in north central Nevada and is famous for producing an unusual variety of lime green turquoise with a golden brown matrix. Few types of turquoise are as immediately identifiable as this deposit. Toby has placed this, high-grade natural cabochon in a setting quite suited to its unique pedigree.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
About the artist:
Toby Henderson was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. The roots of his family tree are buried deep in the Borrego Pass area of the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico. Toby's mother Ella Long, his grandparents, Helen and Jim Long, and his Uncle Phillip Long, and Tommy Long are all silver and gold smiths recognized for high quality and innovative workmanship. Toby learned his art from his grandparents with whom he spent the summer months when he was a young boy. Toby recalls that his Grandparents were patient and inspiring instructors. They were pleased that he was carrying on the family silversmith tradition. Toby's work can be described as both traditional and contemporary, he has a special fondness for hand crafted, three-dimensional, sterling silver kachinas and Yei-be-chei figures. Toby was the first in his family to create these freestanding Holy People figures. With his daughters and son Toby keeps the family tradition alive. The boy and girls help with everything from design to buffing and polishing.
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?
Navajo Sterling Silver and 14k Gold Bracelet - Bruce Morgan (#04)
$792.00
Artist: Bruce Morgan
Total Inner Circumference including opening: 7 1/8"
Opening: 1 1/4"
Bruce Morgan was initiated into the silver and goldsmith work trade by his father, Harry Morgan. Harry was a master craftsman who produced high-quality traditional Navajo jewelry for over 40 years. Unfortunately Harry has passed into the Great Beyond. He, however, has left a talented pupil in his wake. With a steady hand, a sharp eye and cold steel stamps, Bruce creates deeply impressed bracelets that reflect age-old patterns common to Navajo textiles.
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?
Navajo Sterling Silver and 14k Gold Bracelet - Johnathan Nez (#01)
$750.00
Artist: Johnathan Nez
Total inner circumference including opening: 7 1/2"
Opening: 1 1/4"
We only recently became familiar with Jonathan Nez, but were immediately impressed. His stamp work is deep and clean; his cut and file work is amazing; and his blend of sterling silver and 14k gold is eye-catching. Jonathan's attention to detail is the reason his work is so beautiful.
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?
Navajo Sterling Silver and 14k Gold with Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Lifestyle Bracelet - Robert Taylor (#44)
$2,975.00
Artist: Robert Taylor
Navajo Jewelry
Inner Circumference: 6 1/4"
Opening: 1 1/8"
Total: 7 3/8"
When it comes to Robert Taylor’s work, gold and silver go together like Navajo and sheep. So, as you can see, this Navajo lifestyle bracelet is the perfect combination, symbolically and culturally, artistically and aesthetically, naturally and truthfully. Robert is a great guy and a great artist. Oh yea, did we say we love this bracelet.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
Sleeping Beauty Turquoise
The Sleeping Beauty turquoise mine is located seven miles from Globe, Arizona. The mine is one of the largest producers of turquoise in North America. The mine, and the turquoise extracted from it, derives its name from Sleeping Beauty Mountain, which at one time was part of the Copper Cities operation. The center of the copper mine is located at approximately 33o24"13.23"N. 110o53'34. 60"W, at an elevation of 1224 feet. Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Mining is presently owned and operated by Monty Nichols.
For many centuries before the first Europeans made their way into Arizona, turquoise was being mined on the slopes of Sleeping Beauty Mountain. The Salado and other ancient peoples mined the beautiful sky stone from several surface outcroppings located in the vicinity, including Pinto Valley. It is believed that Spanish explorers were the first Europeans to locate the source of Sleeping Beauty sometime around the 1860s. By the 1870s, small underground mines pockmarked the hills surrounding present day Globe.
Cities Service Company started the Copper Cities Mine (commonly called the Sleeping Beauty Mine) in 1952 and operated it until the Pinto Valley mine opened in 1972. During the 1960s, L.W. Hardy had the contract to mine turquoise, both at Sleeping Beauty and at Castle Dome, later called the Pinto Valley Mine. Formerly a meat cutter at a market in Miami, Hardy recognized early on that turquoise was more valuable as a gemstone than the associated copper.
By the time the turquoise boom began, Hardy had contracts with mining companies in Miami, Kingman and elsewhere. He also developed a method for stabilizing low-grade, porous turquoise with pressure-impregnated hot acrylic resin, which hardened the stone and improved the color.
Hardy's mining methods were primitive when compared with current operations. Hardy's workers sat in a ditch ripped by a bulldozer and hand picked the stone from waste-rock. Hardy mined turquoise at Sleeping Beauty for 22 years, getting about 45 percent recovery, and leaving the rest in waste dumps.
Monty Nichols received the contract to mine Sleeping Beauty turquoise in 1988, and began using modern mining methods to develop the property. Nichols drills and blasts the overburden, hauling it to the abandoned Copper Cities pit, which now contains the recycled tailings from Miami Copper Company's No. 5 tailing dam. The old dam dominated the eastern skyline of downtown Miami until recently. The year Nichols acquired the contract; he began a two-year project to remove 5,000.000 tons of overburden. Located half way up the side of an open pit mine, the narrow turquoise-bearing zone has about 400 feet of hard waste rock on top of it. In order to move sideways into the ore-body, a whole slice of the mountain had to be removed.
To avoid fracturing the turquoise, Nichols was careful not to blast too near the turquoise-bearing strata. That layer is more crumbly, so the miners can rip it and dump it over screens, separating the material by size. No crushers are used, again to avoid fracturing the gemstone, and the different sized rock is hauled up to a wide mine bench where conveyor belts move the material through three buildings. There, workers handpick turquoise from the broken rock. The buildings are vented with filtered air to eliminate workers' exposure to dust, and well insulated to keep them comfortable in any weather. It is a far cry from the old methods of mining. Anywhere from 30 to 40 people work at the mine at any one time, depending on how much mining there is to do.
Fifty years ago, mine workers filled lunch buckets with the colorful rock, even though it was reason for immediate termination. Old habits die hard, and some people still think it is okay to sneak in and try to pick turquoise. As a result, security is tight in and around the mine. Motion detectors, night vision cameras and 24/7 roving patrols are used, so the only turquoise leaving the property now is being shipped to markets around the world.
Italy is the largest volume buyer of Sleeping Beauty turquoise, with Germany and Hong Kong following closely behind. These customers buy the best grade for their exclusive jewelry. Jewelry makers in India and Spain also receive Sleeping Beauty turquoise, while in the U.S., Gallup and Albuquerque are the largest consumers.
The Sleeping Beauty turquoise mine produces a uniform light to medium blue turquoise with rare finds of deep, dark blue. Because of its uniformity, it has been a favorite of the Zuni Pueblo. Zuni silversmiths often use it in channel inlay and various types of cluster work that require large numbers of small, perfectly matched stones. The Sleeping Beauty mine has been one of the larger producers of rough turquoise in the United States, although today much less good turquoise is being produced than in the past.
Sleeping Beauty turquoise is noted for its solid, light blue color with no matrix; the host rock is usually granite. Nichols says the mine is producing about 1,600 pounds a month. Of that, only four percent is natural; most of the turquoise from the mine is altered in some way. Most is enhanced, which is more expensive than stabilization, and sold to large distributors in this country and Europe. Currently most of the turquoise that comes from the mine is from the tons of tailings piles that have been accumulating for decades.
The best of the Sleeping Beauty turquoise is comparable to that found in the Middle East. It is thought that large quantities of Sleeping Beauty turquoise is taken overseas and smuggled into, then out of, Iran to be sold as “Persian” turquoise.
About the artist:
Robert Taylor - Silver & Goldsmith:
"Cluster, channel, leaf, inlay, casting... I've done about everything," Robert Taylor talks about his silver and goldsmithing, "There's a lot of artists that do it." And then he confides the reason he has set himself apart from other craftsmen. "I didn't really get anywhere until I decided to design my own style."
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?
Navajo Sterling Silver and Kingman Waterweb Turquoise Buckle - Tommy Jackson (#39)
$990.00
Artist: Tommy Jackson
Navajo Jewelry
2 3/4" x 2 1/4"
Tommy Jackson often arrives at the trading post on his Harley-Davidson iron horse motorcycle. Once he lands in the parking lot, we are eager to see what he carries in his saddlebags. In this case it was a nicely stamped oval buckle with a beautiful piece of water web turquoise from Kingman, Arizona. Ride on.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
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
About the artist:
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?
Navajo Sterling Silver and Morenci Turquoise Bracelet - Leon Martinez (#02)
$360.00
Artist: Leon Martinez
Navajo Jewelry
Total Inner Circumference: 6"
Opening: 1"
Navajo silversmith Leon Martinez knows how to craft smaller scale bracelets that are well made, feature nice stones and are extremely wearable. So that is the deal with this cuff, which features a Morenci stone and precise silver work. Go ahead, cuff yourself.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
Morenci Turquoise
Morenci Turquoise; Arizona Mine, Morenci, Clifton-Morenci District, Shannon Mountains, Greenlee County, Arizona, USA. An open pit copper mine located in the N1⁄2 Section 16, T4S, R29E (Clifton 15 minute topographic map), owned by Phelps Dodge Corp. Map Reference: 33°5'26"N, 109°21'58"W.
Morenci turquoise was mined in southeastern Arizona until approximately 1990. It is located very near the New Mexico border, and ranges in color from classic high electric blue to light azure. Prehistoric Indians who valued the stone for its deep blue color were the first to discover the deposit. These people adorned themselves with rough-hewn beads and carved talisman made from the mineral
Morenci is often associated with an unusual black matrix of irregular iron pyrite, which looks metallic when polished. Although they are rare, stones with unusual birds-eye patterns, red matrix and an occasional layer of silver have also been found. The Morenci name is derived from the large open pit copper mine owned and operated by the Phelps Dodge Corporation. Early examples of this striking turquoise were of the "lunch box" variety, meaning workers and miners carried them out of the mine.
Morenci is well known; it was one of the first types of American turquoise to find its way to the market and is always difficult to obtain because the mine was depleted so long ago. It is believed that the best Morenci ever produced was discovered in the late 1960's to early 70's. During this time period, the mine produced a high, electric blue variety with iron pyrite inclusions. Since Morenci is no longer being mined, and because of its striking color and unusual matrix combinations, high grade natural Morenci is a valuable, highly collectible mineral.
USGS; Arizona.--In Arizona turquoise ranks first in terms of value of production and is also the best known of its gem materials. Nearly all-important deposits of turquoise are located near copper occurrences or in copper deposits in arid desert regions of the world. Thus, the world famous turquoise deposits associated with certain of the large Arizona copper deposits are to be expected.
Turquoise is, or has been, mined from a number of these copper mines as a byproduct, usually by outside contractors. The financial and operating terms of the collecting contracts vary from mine to mine. Some of the operations are little more than the efforts of individual commercial collectors; some are essentially full-scale mining operations that are simultaneous with, but separate from, the regular mining operations; and still others operate on an on-call basis as turquoise is uncovered by the regular copper mining operation. Regardless of the size or sophistication of the initial mining or recovery operation, the actual turquoise is recovered by careful extraction using hand method.
Related legends:
Precious Stones
Turquoise; Precious stones have symbolic implications. For example, turquoise if a "collective term for all the precious stones, wealth, or mixed offerings. Good fortune is attributed to this stone." Both white shell and turquoise are emphasized in Kinaalda? More about this legend
Navajo Sterling Silver Articulated Textile Pattern Design Bracelet - Al Joe (#03)
$750.00
Artist: Al Joe
Navajo Jewelry
Size - 6 3/4
Inner Circumference - 5 1/2"
Opening - 1 1/4"
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
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?
Navajo Sterling Silver Bear Pendant - Robert Taylor (#45)
$375.00
Artist: Robert Taylor
Navajo Jewelry
1 1/2" x 1 1/2"
The bear has special significance to the Navajo people, and Robert Taylor has captured this emotion with his sterling silver and Sleeping Beauty turquoise bear pendant. This work of art is so clean it is classic. Of course, Robert himself is a classic. Recognized as a master silversmith, Robert has developed a sterling name for himself in the realm of Southwest art. This bear pendant shows all the reasons why his reputation is clear-cut.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
About the artist:
Robert Taylor - Silver & Goldsmith:
"Cluster, channel, leaf, inlay, casting... I've done about everything," Robert Taylor talks about his silver and goldsmithing, "There's a lot of artists that do it." And then he confides the reason he has set himself apart from other craftsmen. "I didn't really get anywhere until I decided to design my own style."
See full biography
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?
Navajo Sterling Silver Bisbee Turquoise Stone Pendant - Will Denetdale (#270)
$370.00
Artist: Will Denetdale
1 3/16" x 1 3/4"
About the artist:
Will Denetdale - Navajo Jewelry:
One of the most talented Navajo gold and silversmiths currently producing jewelry, Will Denetdale is making an indelible mark in the world of Native American art. His name is becoming famous in his trade; his art a standard by which other pieces may be judged. Will's success as an artist is proportionate to his devotion, and Will Denetdale lives to make jewelry.
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?
More about this legend
Navajo Sterling Silver Blue Gem Turquoise Bracelet - Derrick Gordon (#24)
$740.00
Artist: Derrick Gordon
Total inner circumference including opening: 6 1/2"
Opening: 1 1/4"
Derrick Gordon has placed a piece of super high grade, natural Blue Gem turquoise in this old style cuff. This bracelet is fashioned by hand with cold steel stamps, files and impressed metal blocks for the bump-outs. The Blue Gem turquoise sets off the quality of workmanship in a most memorable manner. Derrick has done himself proud with this bracelet and anyone who knows anything about Navajo silversmith work and turquoise would be proud to wear it.
Blue Gem Turquoise
Blue Gem turquoise occurs in argillized quartz monzonite cut by two limonite-stained sheer zones, one trending N 35 o W and dipping 75 o NE, the other trending N, 25 o E and dipping 55 o NW. An extensive breccia zone about 10 feet wide is developed between the two bounding sheers. Exceptionally good quality turquoise forms veins up to three-quarters of an inch thick along the shears. Pyrite-bearing quartz veins are closely associated with the turquoise.
The Blue Gem mine was at one time located deep underground, accessed by tunnels as deep as 800 feet. This is of interest because the Blue Gem Mine and the Bisbee Mine in Arizona are the only two mines (of which we are aware) that turquoise was found that deep in the earth. The Blue Gem mine was once developed in extensive underground workings and open stoops. An audit several hundred feet long on the main structure connected to numerous shorter tunnels and several open stoops. Directly above the main audit was a glory hole some 100 feet long.
Duke Goff first noted the Blue Gem deposit in 1934. It was subsequently leased from the Copper Canyon Mining Co. by the American Gem Co. of San Gabriel, CA., owned by Doc Wilson and his sons, Del and William. The company operated the property until 1941 when the outbreak of the war caused a shortage of experienced miners. Both Del and William Wilson were called into the Army for the duration of the war, and this compelled the closing of the mine. Consequently, the lease was allowed to lapse and work was abandoned. In 1950 Lee Hand and Alvin Layton of Battle Mountain leased the mine.
Production of turquoise at the Blue Gem lease in the early days of the operation was enormous. Although there is no exact information, it is reported that the output amounted to nearly
$1 million in rough turquoise. The mine is still active, although Duval Corp is currently in the center of a major copper deposit developing it.
Pyrite in Blue Gem is unusual to see but not unheard of. Very little large material ever came out of Blue Gem, the majority found was small 1-mm "bleeder" veins and tiny nuggets which was perfect for Zuni inlay and fine needlepoint, petit-point and snake-eyes jewelry. Blue Gem turquoise was very popular in the late 1930's and 40's and was commonly used in the Fred Harvey "tourist jewelry" that is so collectable today. Blue Gem turquoise is extremely hard and stands up well to the test of time.
Blue Gem turquoise is a rare, valuable and historic American treasure. Quality Blue Gem Turquoise has been gifted with a wide range and variety of color. Because Blue Gem turquoise is very hard, a high polish is associated with this stone, and unlike most turquoise, won't easily change color. This turquoise has a unique character and many different looks all of which are striking, full of wonder and pleasing to the eye.
Production of the mine started about 1934 and continued into the 1970's. Blue Gem Turquoise is still some of the finest turquoise ever found, and unlike most turquoise mines, (in which the majority mined is chalky and only usable if stabilized) most of the turquoise found there was of gem-quality. Today the Blue Gem mine is not viable; it sits in the middle of a huge mining operation. The emphasis is on precious metals and the extraction of turquoise is considered more of a hindrance in the mining process rather than an asset. Even the ever-popular "Dump Diving" for turquoise through the overburden is not tolerated due to the very real danger of becoming buried in a slide. Insurance factors, equipment hazards, high explosives and safety issues along with a lack of interest from the mining company keep Blue Gem turquoise unavailable to the world, at least for now.
About the artist:
At the age of nineteen, Derrick Gordon sat down at the bench with his uncle, Delbert Gordon, and a promising new career was launched. Derrick was born and raised in Gallup, New Mexico. He came into this world in 1971, but it was not until 1990 that he began to bless us with his unique style of Navajo silver jewelry.
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?
Navajo Sterling Silver Cleansing Rain Cuff Bracelet - Allison Lee (#189)
$880.00
Artist: Allison Lee
Total inner circumference including opening: 6 1/4"
Opening: 1"
Lately Allison Lee has been using simple sterling silver and elaborate stamping to create bracelets that are wearable every day, for the rest of your life. Using a simple but elegant hatching pattern to represent cleansing rain and highly polished metal, Allison has forged a superb cuff. Once you put it on, you will not want to take it off.
About the artist:
Allison Lee - Navajo Silversmith:
Speaking of the silver and gold jewelry he hand crafts, Allison Lee's captivating voice is sincere when he says, "One time my uncle told me that everything we build comes from the earth, like the silver that comes from the earth, or the turquoise that comes from the earth. That is a lot of energy. You put it together and you put your heart and mind into a piece. Then sometimes a certain piece of jewelry- I believe- it is made for a certain person. I usually have a ring, or something, that stays with me for about two or three years, until the right person comes along. And then that person buys that piece. I believe that every piece of jewelry that I make is made for somebody out there- it's made for somebody special. Whoever might be having problems, or something like that. In essence, that energy helps that person get help, by wearing pieces that we make. That is the way I look at it.
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?
Navajo Sterling Silver Coral and Handstamped Cuff Bracelet - Harrison Jim (#04)
$630.00
Artist: Harrison Jim
Navajo Jewelry
Inner Circumference: 4 3/4"
Opening: 1"
Total: 5 3/4"
Width: 7/8"
This stamped sterling silver and Mediterranean coral bracelet by Navajo artist Harrison Jim is of the old style. With its use of the Spider Woman cross, Harrison has conjured a time long ago when Navajo deities walked the earth to assist the five-fingered people. Harrison’s work is precise and visually pleasing. No one does stamping better.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
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?
Navajo Sterling Silver Coral Handmade Cuff Bracelet - Harrison Jim (#05)
$720.00
Artist: Harrison Jim
Navajo Jewelry
Inner Circumference: 4 3/4"
Opening: 1"
Total: 5 3/4"
Okay, we admit it, we have a weakness for red, whether it’s Ganado Red rugs, traditional ceremonial baskets or Mediterranean coral, we will go right to it. Harrison Jim likely feels the same, since this fabricated cuff bracelet incorporates a fine oval of blood red coral from deep in the ocean. The stamping accentuates the stone and is every bit as nice. Yes, this is a great piece of jewelry.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
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?
Navajo Sterling Silver Coral Jellybean Link Bracelet - Wyatt Lee (#03)
$415.00
Artist: Wyatt Lee
Navajo Jewelry
8" long
Wyatt Lee is following in the footsteps of his famous dad, Allison Lee. Wyatt has taken over the jellybean style that his father popularized, while Allison has moved on to more spectacular projects. This Mediterranian coral and sterling silver link bracelet is a sign that we can expect great things from Wyatt, just as we have come to expect greater things of his dad.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
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?
Navajo Sterling Silver Damele Turquoise Bolo Tie - Albert Jake (#62)
$1,695.00
Artist: Albert Jake
Bolo: 1 3/4" x 2 3/8"
Strap: 46" total
This handcrafted sterling silver bolo tie made by Navajo artist Albert Jake reminds us of Easter. Not because of the stunning color, but because this piece of Damele turquoise is as big and large and distinctive as a Faberge egg. Albert has kept the adornment simple to maximize the impact of the stone. Wear this neckpiece and even the Easter Bunny will be green with envy.
Damele Turquoise
Damele turquoise jewelry has become highly collectible mainly due to the character and interest found in this wonderfully distinctive turquoise, which is very hard, and visually appealing. Damele turquoise forms in veins and occasionally as nuggets in carbonaceous chert and also diatomaceous earth. Stones from this mine range in color from pure lime-green through bright chartreuse; yellow with black webbing; white; orange and brown; a caramel color turquoise with bright green polka dots, and small black nuggets with bright yellow-green bumps poking out of the black matrix. Typically the turquoise contains black, brown, or tan matrix but Damele turquoise itself is not typical by any standard.
A small, tightly run operation, the Damele mine is located thirty miles east of Austin, Nevada. The mine is located on The Dry Creek Ranch owned by the Damele family. There, they raise unique horses that carry the Damele name. Benny Damele discovered the mine sometime around 1973. Soon thereafter, Clyde Wright became involved in mining the claim and worked it for approximately eighteen years. Tony Cotner, an excellent miner, merchandiser and truly colorful character, has owned the claim since 1990 when he bought it from Benny Damele. Mr. Cotner, also known as “Mean Green", states there is an ancient subtropical zone located beneath the mine that may be responsible for the unusual colors associated with Damele turquoise although he is unsure whether the organic environment has anything to do with the coloration.
Since Damele turquoise is mined by a character and handled by characters at Twin Rocks Trading Post, it is only natural that we prefer stones chockfull of character as well. The next time you are traveling down U.S. Highway 191 in southern Utah, make sure you stop in and visit our cast of characters. We believe you will greatly enjoy the experience.
Chemical composition of turquoise: CuAl,(PO404(OH)8.4H2O.
About the artist:
Since 1959, Albert Jake has made his home in the beautiful country located about forty miles south of Gallup, New Mexico. He was born at Zuni Pueblo and has resided in the village of Ramah for many years. Albert’s parent taught him the many steps to fine Navajo silverwork which includes both cluster jewelry as well as beautiful stones in classic Navajo settings.
Related legends:
Precious Stones Turquoise; Precious stones have symbolic implications. For example, turquoise if a "collective term for all the precious stones, wealth, or mixed offerings. Good fortune is attributed to this stone." Both white shell and turquoise are emphasized in Kinaalda? More about this legend
Navajo Sterling Silver Handmade Weaving Bracelet - Allison Lee (#186)
$600.00
Artist: Allison Lee
Total inner circumference including opening: 7 1/4"
Opening: 1 1/4"
Allison Lee has handmade a work of sterling silver art. He has such handmade precision in his meticulous silver stamping, that you’d swear a computer did it. He has chosen to put a weaving design into this particular bracelet. It reminds us of the personal friend and family relationships we hold dear to our hearts. That it’s important to keep them close to us, and tightly woven together so that they can stay strong. Getting this wonderful bracelet will remind you of that every time you wear it.
About the artist:
Allison Lee - Navajo Silversmith:
Speaking of the silver and gold jewelry he hand crafts, Allison Lee's captivating voice is sincere when he says, "One time my uncle told me that everything we build comes from the earth, like the silver that comes from the earth, or the turquoise that comes from the earth. That is a lot of energy. You put it together and you put your heart and mind into a piece. Then sometimes a certain piece of jewelry- I believe- it is made for a certain person. I usually have a ring, or something, that stays with me for about two or three years, until the right person comes along. And then that person buys that piece. I believe that every piece of jewelry that I make is made for somebody out there- it's made for somebody special. Whoever might be having problems, or something like that. In essence, that energy helps that person get help, by wearing pieces that we make. That is the way I look at it.
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?
Navajo Sterling Silver Handstamped Bolo Tie (#43)
$445.00
Navajo Jewelry
2 1/4" x 2 3/4"
Bolo ties are the official neckwear of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Bluff, Utah. With that kind of endorsement, they are spreading like wildfire on the prairie. As such, you may want to snap up this beautifully crafted stamped sterling silver example of the best in Navajo-Western fashion.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
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?
Navajo Sterling Silver Ketoh "Bow Guard" Design Bracelet - Allison Lee (#176)
$1,250.00
Artist: Allison Lee
Navajo Jewelry
Inner Cumference: 5 1/4"
Opening: 1"
Total: 6 1/4"
The ketoh or bow guard design is one of the classic motifs of Navajo art. Master craftsman Allison Lee has taken his inspiration for that tradition and made a bracelet of stunning simplicity and beauty. That, however, is par for the course with Allison.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
Navajo Sterling Silver Ketoh Design Buckle - Allison Lee (#192)
$880.00
Artist: Allison Lee
2 3/4" x 2"
Classic designs are Allison Lee’s specialty. With that in mind, Allison has created this amazing ketoh motif buckle. Originating with the bow guards worn by Navajo men, this design has become a classic in Southwest art. This buckle is nothing short of beautiful. You will want to wear it every day.
About the artist:
Allison Lee - Navajo Silversmith:
Speaking of the silver and gold jewelry he hand crafts, Allison Lee's captivating voice is sincere when he says, "One time my uncle told me that everything we build comes from the earth, like the silver that comes from the earth, or the turquoise that comes from the earth. That is a lot of energy. You put it together and you put your heart and mind into a piece. Then sometimes a certain piece of jewelry- I believe- it is made for a certain person. I usually have a ring, or something, that stays with me for about two or three years, until the right person comes along. And then that person buys that piece. I believe that every piece of jewelry that I make is made for somebody out there- it's made for somebody special. Whoever might be having problems, or something like that. In essence, that energy helps that person get help, by wearing pieces that we make. That is the way I look at it.
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?
Navajo Sterling Silver Kingman Turquoise Buckle - Tim Charlie (#01)
$425.00
Artist: Tim Charlie
3 1/8" x 2 1/2"
Tim Charlie took a sheet of heavy gauge silver and hammered-out a buckle with depth and character. Tim must have a uniquely spatial sense when it comes to silversmith work. He has to hammer his bump-outs from the back of the silver sheet while keeping track of where he will need to stamp the frontal designs. It is a tricky business to be sure, but Tim doesn't sweat it, not one little bit. For added dimension and contrast, Tim has placed an attractive cabochon of natural, spider-web Kingman turquoise. Because every little aspect of Tim's belt buckle is hand fabricated, it has the look and feel of something crafted 100 years ago.
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?
Navajo Sterling Silver Kingman Turquoise French Hook Earrings - Will Denetdale (#265)
$250.00
Artist: Will Denetdale
2" x 7/8"
Will Denetdale works hard to impress his ardent admirers, and his work shows it. These earrings have such excellent silverwork and finish you’d think a machine did them. Well, I hate to burst that bubble, but they are 100% hand-fabricated, and with great precision. At Twin Rocks his silverwork is never downplayed with low-quality material. Because of Will's commitment to quality, we often choose him to set our natural gem-grade turquoise. These stones come from the Kingman mine in Arizona, which is well known for excellent veins of very good turquoise. The color of this particular selection is a pastel light blue that is difficult to find in a natural state. Wow, what an excellent pair of earrings for that special someone.
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
About the artist:
Will Denetdale - Navajo Jewelry:
One of the most talented Navajo gold and silversmiths currently producing jewelry, Will Denetdale is making an indelible mark in the world of Native American art. His name is becoming famous in his trade; his art a standard by which other pieces may be judged. Will's success as an artist is proportionate to his devotion, and Will Denetdale lives to make jewelry.
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?
Navajo Sterling Silver Kingman Turquoise Pendant - Albert Jake (#60)
$420.00
Artist: Albert Jake
Navajo Jewelry
1 1/2" x 2 1/2"
As one of the most recognizable names in American mining, Kingman turquoise is surely fit for royalty. This particular Kingman cabochon has such sky blue color and distinct matrix, that it jumps right out at you. Albert Jake knew to keep his silversmith work elegant when he set this piece of turquoise. He put a large bale on it to accommodate a wide variety of bead or chain accessories.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
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
About the artist:
Since 1959, Albert Jake has made his home in the beautiful country located about forty miles south of Gallup, New Mexico. He was born at Zuni Pueblo and has resided in the village of Ramah for many years. Albert’s parent taught him the many steps to fine Navajo silverwork which includes both cluster jewelry as well as beautiful stones in classic Navajo settings.
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?
Navajo Sterling Silver Kingman Turquoise Pendant - Albert Jake (#61)
$450.00
Artist: Albert Jake
Navajo Jewelry
1 1/4" x 2 1/2"
Now this in a nice pendant. Stellar stamping and a striking blue Kingman stone really make this Albert Jake necklace visually appealing. Albert is widely known for the quality of his work and the quality of his stones. Hang this one on.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every purchase.
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
About the artist:
Since 1959, Albert Jake has made his home in the beautiful country located about forty miles south of Gallup, New Mexico. He was born at Zuni Pueblo and has resided in the village of Ramah for many years. Albert’s parent taught him the many steps to fine Navajo silverwork which includes both cluster jewelry as well as beautiful stones in classic Navajo settings.
Related legends:
Precious Stones
Turquoise; Precious stones have symbolic implications. For example, turquoise if a "collective term for all the precious stones, wealth, or mixed offerings. Good fortune is attributed to this stone." Both white shell and turquoise are emphasized in Kinaalda? More about this legend