Lander Blue Turquoise: Field Guide to the 1973 Nevada Find
Part of the Turquoise Mines field guides and The Southwest Jewelry Guide.
Joe Dan and Joe P. Lowry’s 2010 book tells how the Lander Blue deposit was found near Indian Creek in Lander County, Nevada, in 1973. 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
Lowry (2010) tells the discovery:
“In 1973, Rita Hapgood, her sister Marilynn, and their two sons went on a turquoise hunt and picnic adventure in Nevada.”
— Lowry (2010), p. 227 [1]
According to Lowry (2010, p. 227), on a hillside near Indian Creek Rita's son picked up a few mostly black rocks with small nodules of blue showing; the claim was first named for Rita's mother, Mary Louise. [1]
According to Lowry (2010, p. 227), Rita sold the claim to Hank Dorian and Marvin Syme, who partnered with Bob Johnson to mine a small amount of the turquoise in 1974. [1]
According to Lowry (2010, p. 224), Lander Blue became famous for its limited production, estimated at 108 pounds of rough, and for its colour grade and spiderweb matrix, and marketing that low yield created high demand. [1]
According to Lowry (2010, p. 227), because of the mine's fame, similar-looking turquoise from Indian Mountain and from YunGaiSi in China has been sold as Lander Blue. [1]
Lowry (2010) turns the discovery date into a dating tool:
“The Lander Blue Mine located in Nevada was discovered in 1973; therefore, it would be most unlikely that a piece of jewelry made in the 1950s would be set with Lander Blue turquoise.”
— Lowry (2010), p. 231 [1]
According to Lowry (2010, p. 231), tons of Mexican and Chinese turquoise have been misrepresented and sold as Lander Blue and other classic mines. [1]
According to Lowry (2010, p. 232), Americans list Lander Blue among the best mines, with Number Eight, Bisbee and Lone Mountain. [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.
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.