Nevada trip report - turquoise mining
Sept 19, 2019 14:11:38 GMT -5
RWA3006, RickB, and 4 more like this
Post by callmerob on Sept 19, 2019 14:11:38 GMT -5
After a 3-year hiatus we again met our east coast friends whom we originally met on a Wednesday morning in a bar in Tonopah, NV. It was like no time had passed. We picked up conversations unfinished three years ago.
They design and make high-end jewelry, have a history with the turquoise miners in Tonopah, and we like messing around on dirt roads. It’s a perfect match!
BlueMoon Mine turquoise
Royston Mine turquoise
Three years ago my wife found this - 57 carats of BlueMoon turquoise.
It is now a necklace,
This year we explored the new Thunderbird Mine. It’s early yet. Down in a 20ft pit, picking turquoise nuggets out of the pit wall, trying to find and follow a trail to a larger vein. Looks like it goes down and to the right.
Vertical lines on the pit wall are precise teeth marks from the excavator bucket.
If you like TV shows of the Alaska gold miners or the Colorado crystal miners, you’ll like Turquoise Fever premiering on INSP channel this August. The multi-generational Otteson family takes you into the world of gem-quality turquoise mining. Check your local listings for INSP channel. Wednesdays at 9:00 Eastern, 6:00 Pacific. Set your DVR or whatever the kids call it these days.
