Candelaria Turquoise: Field Guide to the Candelaria/Columbus District
Part of the Turquoise Mines field guides and The Southwest Jewelry Guide.
Joe Dan and Joe P. Lowry’s 2010 book describes the Candelaria/Columbus district along the Esmeralda-Mineral county line in Nevada. Every statement below is quoted or paraphrased from that book, with page numbers, so you can check each one. The book was published in 2010; anything described as current describes 2010.
What Lowry recorded
According to Lowry (2010, p. 233), the Candelaria/Columbus district runs along the Esmeralda-Mineral county line, was settled in the middle 1800s by Spanish gold and silver prospectors, and in 1905-1908 the Los Angeles Gem Company placed claims there. [1]
Lowry (2010) on why turquoise turns up there:
“Whenever the area is actively mined for its metals, more turquoise and variscite becomes available.”
— Lowry (2010), p. 233 [1]
According to Lowry (2010, p. 233), the district's turquoise has been marketed as Ajax, Blue Boy, Blue Moon, Miss Moffet, Blue Mine and Candelaria. [1]
See all the turquoise mines we profile, across the Southwest.
How this page is sourced. We strive for accuracy: every factual statement above is quoted from or credited to the printed work listed below, with page numbers, and this page is continuously updated with new information as we read more of our library. See something we should correct? Contact us.
From the Library: Kunz, Gems and Precious Stones of North America (1890)
1890 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 1890, not today.
According to Kunz (1890, p. 60), J. E. Clayton found turquoise on a sharp ridge about half a mile southwest of the Northern Bell Mine in the Columbus District of southern Nevada, some five miles north of Columbus. [2]
Kunz (1890) relayed Clayton's description of the host rock: the turquoise was
“in seams and bunches in a metamorphic sandstone of a brownish color, not vitreous enough to be classed as a quartzite.”
— Kunz (1890), p. 60 [2]
On the best material, Kunz (1890) wrote:
“The best specimens were in small, roundish pebbles in clusters”
— Kunz (1890), p. 60 [2]
As of 1890, Kunz reported how it was sold:
“The principal sale is in San Francisco, where the sandstone is cut with the turquoise in it, making a rich mottled stone for jewelry.”
— Kunz (1890), p. 61 [2]
Kunz (1890) ranked it highly:
“Although the nodules are small, this is the finest turquoise for color and quality found on the continent”
— Kunz (1890), p. 61 [2]
Sources
- Lowry, Joe Dan, and Joe P. Lowry. Turquoise: The World Story of a Fascinating Gemstone. Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith, 2010. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 2010.
- Kunz, George F. Gems and Precious Stones of North America. New York: The Scientific Publishing Company, 1890. Public domain. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 1890.