Royal Blue Turquoise: Field Guide to Nevada's 1,200-Pound-a-Month Mine
Royal Blue Turquoise: Field Guide to Nevada's 1,200-Pound-a-Month Mine
Royal Blue turquoise comes from the western slopes of Quartzite Mountain, approximately eight miles north of Crow Springs in Esmeralda County, Nevada. Located in March 1903, the mine peaked at over 1,200 pounds of turquoise per month — a production rate that made it one of the notable operations of the Great American Turquoise Rush, and the source of some of that era's most brazen marketing mythology.
Field Notes by Mateo James
The Royal Blue story opens with J.L. (Jessie) and U.G. Workman of Tonopah, who located the claims in late March 1903. According to Chambless: "In late March 1903, J.L. (Jessie) and U.G. Workman of Tonopah, Nevada located the Royal Blue about eight miles north of Crow Springs on the western slopes of what they referred to as Quartzite Mountain." The subsequent production was substantial — "The Royal Blue's production reports, at times exceeding 1,200 pounds a month. Peery later claimed the Royal Blue produced over $5MM worth of turquoise."
Royal Blue stone is described as non-matrix and pale blue — characteristics that made it suitable for matched-set bead work and promotional catalog jewelry. The Himalaya Mining Company, which operated both the Royal Blue and Hachita mines, was aggressive with marketing. That brings us to the most important piece of authentication knowledge attached to this mine.
C.T. Johnson, interviewed in 1976, stated plainly: "Tiffany was the most abused name for turquoise mines in the west. If a person had ever sent a piece of turquoise to Tiffany's in New York, why it automatically would become a Tiffany mine. I sat down and wrote Tiffany's a letter one day, and as far as they knew they never owned a mine or never intended to own property." (Chambless, ~lines 9450–9453.) This testimony, recorded from an industry insider, cuts through a century of promotional fiction.
Collector's Handbook
What to look for: Non-matrix, pale blue stone. High-volume production era pieces from the 1903–1910s period are historically plausible.
Recognition tells: Beware "Tiffany mine" provenance claims attached to Royal Blue or any Nevada turquoise from this era. C.T. Johnson's 1976 firsthand account establishes that Tiffany ownership claims were endemic fabrications.
Honest mine-status hedge: The mine's peak production was genuine and well-documented. Post-rush era production is not well documented in primary sources.
Related mine guides: Pages for Bisbee, Sleeping Beauty, Number Eight, Cerrillos, Royston, Kingman, Lander Blue, and Morenci mines are coming soon to this field guide.
References
- Chambless, Philip. The History of the American Turquoise Industry, Ch. 7 (~lines 9130–9132, 9238–9249, 9450–9453). [Primary source — substantial entry including C.T. Johnson 1976 interview.]