Near the small town of Globe, Arizona, some 70 miles east of Phoenix, there are two mountains that claim the name “Sleeping Beauty.” Sleeping Beauty Mountain lies to the southwest of the town. To the north, however, is Sleeping Beauty Peak. And it is this sleeping beauty that sleeps atop some of the most beautiful sky-blue turquoise you could ever dream to behold.
Clear Blue Hue
Its uniform, clear blue hue made it a favorite of Zuni Pueblo silversmiths, and for hundreds of years it remained one of the main sources of this kind of turquoise. Persia is the source for robin’s egg turquoise, while Nevada turquoise is famous for its reddish spiderweb matrix (the dark-colored host rock embedded in the blues and greens of the turquoise). Another mine in Arizona produces a rich blue turquoise called “Bisbee Blue.” These all have their own unique beauty, but Sleeping Beauty turquoise is the choice for those who love a clear, nearly unblemished sky blue. Sleeping Beauty turquoise that contains a visible matrix, however, has become more popular in recent years.
The mine now only produces copper, a much more profitable industrial metal. While it is much less romantic that a mine called “Sleeping Beauty” should produce such a mundane metal, it shouldn’t seem strange that the same mine that once produced turquoise now produces copper, as copper is a component of turquoise. Turquoise is made up of copper, aluminum, phosphate (a phosphorus and oxygen compound), and water, and it is the presence of copper that gives it its distinctive blue color. Trace amounts of iron will result in a more greenish turquoise.
Once the world’s largest producer of turquoise, the mine shut down in 2012, after all of the highest-quality turquoise had been mined. Since then, Sleeping Beauty turquoise has only become more valuable. The best of the bed of turquoise upon which Sleeping Beauty sleeps has been extracted, and no more of it will ever be mined. As supplies are limited, we are always on the lookout for the best Sleeping Beauty turquoise to use in our jewelry.
