Lander Blue
and
(like) Lander Blue Turquoise
Lander Blue Turquoise is the rarest and most expensive turquoise in the world.
Turquoise from mines other then Lander Blue sometimes exhibits similar colors and patterns.
The general
consensus is that about 80
lbs of rough came of a couch size hole in Lander, County
Nevada currently called Lander Blue... no more in the ground.. but you could build a mountain
with all the turquoise that's been incorrectly sold as Landers.
This is
not to say that other turquoises are any less beautiful...
they are just as beautiful.
The point is that you should know what
you are buying. Hopefully this brief webpage
will help you do just that.
** You would be
making a great mistake to assume you have discovered a
bargain stash of
Lander Blue and outwitted the pros... Caveat Emptor have been wise words
since the Roman Empire... not much has changed.
Photographs and text by Matt Wolf, SedonaIndianJewelry.com
An extremely rare Boyd Tsosie Lander Blue Ring shot atop the Lander Blue page
from the book Turquoise Unearthed, by Lowry
While there are very expensive rarities from other Southwest mines, the fact remains
that
turquoise from the Lander Blue Mine is the most expensive turquoise in the
world. it is not
unusual to pay $200 to $250 dollars per carat for a high grade Lander Blue specimen.
Unattractive or small pieces of Lander Blue are worth less / carat.
Larger turquoise specimens of the same quality are always worth more.
it is interesting
to note that collectors and silversmiths in the Southwest (who know
turquoise very well) have been paying hefty premiums for
Lander Blue
for the past 30 years.
Recently, Japanese
collectors have been buying Lander Blue turquoise. The supply
is thin so
this increased demand caused prices to spike... in spite of this
difficult economy,
both prices and demand have remained steady.
In early 2008, this small uncut Lander Blue Nugget sold for $38,000
Lander Blue
was first discovered in 1973. It is generally acknowledged that
before the
mine was depleted and the site abandoned, a total of about 80-100 lbs of
rough was unearthed
(not polished turquoise.. but rough!!). All efforts to mine more Lander Blue
turquoise failed.
This is a very small amount of turquoise to fill a very big demand.
Because of that, a word of caution is called for. Perhaps it is ignorance or
maybe wishful
thinking on the part of sellers
but all too often turquoise that is not Lander Blue is said
to be Lander Blue and sold at Lander Blue prices.
The
images on this page are those of genuine Lander Blue turquoise... authenticated
by Boyd Tsosie and
Vernon Haskie documented in
the books of
Lowry and Branson.
This is Lander Blue Turquoise.
Philbert Begay Lander Blue Turquoise and Silver Ring
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Vernon Haskie 14K Gold Lander Blue Turquoise Ring
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Lander Blue Turquoise Silver Ring by Boyd Tsosie
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