Arizonan Turquoise has a long history of usage, including in Ancient Egypt, the Persian Empire, the Shang Dynasty in China, and has been used by the indigenous people of America for over a thousand years. Arizona has a history of mining the beautiful stone and all our jewellery is made from Arizonan material.Sleeping Beauty Turquoise was originally discovered by Native Americans during the Anasazi period and used for trade with the Central and South American indigenous people. The mine was rediscovered and used for copper and gold—that is before there was a surplus of turquoise found. The boom came in the 1970s and 1980s for Sleeping Beauty turquoise because of its Robin Egg blue colour and little to no webbing. The Sleeping Beauty mine was closed in 2012, making it’s turquoise even more valuable.The Kingman turquoise mine is one of the largest in North America. It has produced the largest quantity of stones in recorded history and includes two extensions: the Ithaca Peak mine and Turquoise Mountain. Each part of the mine produces a unique variation of turquoise. Navajos originally mined Kingman turquoise in 600 A.D. It was later discovered again in the 1800s, but did not become mainstream until Leonard Hardy launched a marketing campaign from 1950-1970. The most sought-after Kingman turquoise is bright blue with a black or silver matrix. But because of the mines large size, turquoise can also be dark blue or a light green.
