Community Chat

[rockygems123]

@Kachina624 

Hi there, the turquoise in this pendant reminds me of one of your favorites Landers turquoise.

Not as spotty with less black but I sure like this stone. 

[Kachina624]

@rockygems123.  I love that pure blue turquoise color but I like more matrix.  I judge a stone by it's color and the color and the color and distribution of the matrix.

I have a ring of Landers Blue turquoise.  On the hand it's the ring on the little finger with spiderweb matrix.

I bought it from and old guy who bought, sold and traded turquoise out of Gallup, quite a well-known local character.  I checked his credentials with a group of miners, cutters and silversmiths in a group I belonged to at one time on Yahoo.  They all knew or knew of him and said he had a great reputation.

Anyway I bought the stone for about $1200.  He had the ring made by a Navajo he knew who charged me $20.

There's a lot of Chinese turquoise that looks very similar to Landers.  I bought and have a couple of nice cabs I bought on eBay back when they were practically giving it away.   You rarely see it now.

o

[rockygems123]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

@rockygems123.  8 l9v3 that pure blue turquoise color but I like more matrix.  I judge a stone by it's color and the color and the color and distribution of the matrix.

I have a ring of Landers Blue turquoise.  On the hand it's the ring on the little finger with spiderweb matrix.

I bought it from and old guy who bought, sold and traded turquoise out of Gallup, quite a well-known local character.  I checked his credentials with a group of miners, cutters and silversmiths in a group I belonged to at one time on Yahoo.  They all knew or knew of him and said he had a great reputation.

Anyway I bought the stone for about $1200.  He had the ring made by a Navajo he knew who charged me $20.

There's a lot of Chinese turquoise that looks very similar to Landers.  I bought and have a couple of nice cabs I bought on eBay back when they were practically giving it away.   You rarely see it now.

o

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@Kachina624 

That is a beautiful spiderweb.  There is so much Chinese turquoise out there.  And a side note that Jay King comes up with some interesting ways of describing his "turquoise".

What a great story about your fellow that sourced your turquoise.  You did your research and was lucky to find him.  And to think $20 to make the ring.  

My dad was about 50 yrs old when I was born so there were lots of stories by the time I came around.  In the 30's he worked in Gallup at a Native Trading station.  Many of our household items, Navajo rug under the dining table, turquoise sterling rings, peace pipes, arrowheads, tomahawks etc., so beautiful.

[Kachina624]

@rockygems123.  My mom, from Grand Junction, Co., and your dad would have gotten along famously.  She was a lifetime collector and student of all things Indian.  She would launch into a lecture on the Anasazi at the drop of a hat with an audience of one.  My eyes glaze over just thinking about it.

[rockygems123]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

@rockygems123.  My mom, from Grand Junction, Co., and your dad would have gotten along famously.  She was a lifetime collector and student of all things Indian.  She would launch into a lecture on the Anasazi at the drop of a hat with an audience of one.  My eyes glaze over just thinking about it.

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@Kachina624 

Isn't that something?!  Maybe they've met in the great beyond and are swapping stories now.  Would have loved to have heard your mom's stories we were fascinated by my dad's too.