New Mexico State Gemstone or Gem

Turquoise

Adopted on March 23, 1967

The state legislature adopted turquoise as the state gem in 1967.

Nevada has been a major producer of turquoise since the 1930's, and until the early 1980's, the State was the largest producer in the United States. It is estimated that over the years, 75 to 100 different mines/prospects produced sizable quantities of turquoise. Production varied from a few thousand dollars worth of material at some of the properties to more than a million dollars at others. To date, total production of rough turquoise is estimated to be in the range of $40 to $50 million.

Turquoise from Nevada comes in various shades of blue, blue-green, green-blue, and green. Some of the turquoise may contain iron, if it does, its color is pale green to yellow-green to yellow. The material can be solid colored or spiderwebbed with either brown or black webbing; the spiderwebbing may occur in any of the different colors or shades. Some of the blue material is represented as the finest pure-blue turquoise produced. It can occur in thin veins or seams or as nodules, with single nodules reported as large as 150 pounds. The quality varies from hard solid material that takes a good polish, to soft porous material that can only be use as feed stock for treatment, enhancement, or stabilization processes.

History

In 1535, Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca made an extraordinary journey from eastern Texas through New Mexico to Sonora on the Pacific coast. Cabeza de Vaca and his companions were the first to note the use of turquoise among Native Americans. Hundreds of years before www.legis.state.nm.us Fossil Gem New Mexico Natural History Museum the Spanish explorers arrived, Native Americans were mining and fashioning ornaments out of this gemstone and the shell and coral from the California coast that they acquired in trading with other tribes.

Chemically, turquoise is a phosphate of aluminum carrying small quantities of copper and iron. Turquoise is the only phosphate that is considered a precious stone and is the most valuable nontransparent mineral in the jewelry trade.

The Navajo and Pueblo Indians of the Southwest call turquoise chalchihuitl, as did the ancient peoples of Mexico and Central America, who used the same word to describe jade or green turquoise. Turquoise set in silver is a big industry in New Mexico. Beautiful and authentic pieces may be purchased on reservations or at fashionable stores throughout the United States.

Turquoise has captivated man's imagination for centuries. When it came to the attention of man is unknown. We have archeological as well as literary references that pre date the Christian era by five millenia. The four bracelets of Queen Zar, found on her mummified arm, date to the second ruler of the Egypt's First Dynasty, approximately 5500 B.C. Although not specifically mentioned in the Bible, scholars believe that the robe worn by the high priest Aaron was adorned with turquoise. Aristotle, Pliny and others refer to stones that must have been turquoise. After the fourth or fifth century A.D., many writings appeared discussing the stone. Explorers such as Marco Polo took time to write about it.