Desert Messenger

February 1, 2012

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February 1, 2012 Turquoise vs. Chrysocolla By Jenn Jedidiah Free ADVENTURES WITH ROCKS Singing the blues: Arizona is famous for its Turquoise. Sleep- ing Beauty, Kingman, and the famous Bis- bee Blue are some of the more familiar names. Another beautiful mineral found here is Chrysocolla, which is often mistaken for Turquoise because of its color. While both Turquoise and Chrysocolla, having similar hardness of 2.2 to 2.8 on the Moh's scale, are associated with copper and are by- products of copper mining, the similarities stop there. In technical terms, Chrysocolla is a hy- drous copper silicate which occurs in the oxidation zones of copper deposits. Basi- cally, that means it is ore containing cop- per and silica that has been altered to the mineral Chrysocolla through contact with air and water. Chrysocolla is a rather com- mon mineral here in our copper-rich region of Arizona and is found in association with Azurite, Malachite, and Cuprite. It is a sur- face mineral, which makes it an important indicator of copper deposits. Turquoise, on the other hand, is a hy- drated copper aluminum phosphate. It is a secondary mineral caused by alteration in arid environments of aluminum bearing www.DesertMessenger.com rocks rich in Apatite, Chal- copyrite, and Chalcedony. Sulfides are also present in Turquoise deposits here in Arizona. In other words, while Turquoise is associ- ated with copper deposits, it also needs the presence of aluminum and phosphate in or- der to form. Because of this special recipe, Turquoise is not as common as Chrysocolla. Turquoise is typically formed as fissure fill- ings underground at a depth of about 60 feet, where it is found as veins or nuggets in the surrounding rock. Vein Turquoise forms as a solution filling cracks, called fissures, in the host rock. Most vein Turquoise is clear, or free of matrix, however, some vein Turquoise does con- tain matrix. Nugget Turquoise is formed as the Turquoise collects in small pockets and holes within clay-filled fissures. Commonly, nuggets will have a thin, evenly-spaced "spi- der-web" type matrix, though occasionally nuggets will be clear of matrix. The color of the matrix is determined by the host rock in which the Turquoise formed. Matrix can be reddish or rust-colored, brown, black, golden colored, or even silvery-gray- for ex- ample, brown or reddish matrix is the result of iron oxides in the rock. The colors of the Turquoise itself also vary greatly and are determined in part by min- erals present in the host rock, and can of- ten vary even within the same mine. Excess amounts of copper produce the blue color, while iron produces a Turquoise more in the green range. An excess of aluminum tips QUARTZSITE celebrates Arizona Centennial SAT. FEB. 11th ATV Parade starts at 11am Party at the Park follow • Lasting Legacy Announcement! Find out what all the fundraisers are about!• Food • Skyhawk will entertain • Two AZ Quilt Raffles • Year of the Hoosegow • Displays of Year-long Quartzsite's AZ Centennial Celebration • Moving into the next 100 years TUES. FEB. 14th 10AM • Community Social Cake/ Coffee Cake at Town Hall • Celebrate 100 years of Statehood This space donated by Desert Messenger Arizona commemorates 100 years of Statehood on February 14, 2012. As the last of the contiguous 48 states admitted to the Union, Arizona and its citizens have a wonderful opportunity to showcase the state's beauty, history and future. CARDIOVASCULAR DIVISION OF IMS Diagnose and Treat • chest pain • shortness of breath • leg pain • varicose veins • leg swelling • palpitations LOCATED in Palm Plaza 255 N. Central Blvd. #5 Quartzsite Cardiac Services Provided • stress testing • echocardiograms • vascular ultrasound • PAD screening • coronary angioplasty/stenting • peripheral angioplasty/stenting All testing done on-site No need to travel 928-927-6105 the scales toward a green to greenish-white color, and zinc yields a yellow-green. Most Turquoise mined in Arizona is in the blue range because of the abundance of copper here. Nevada produces many fine examples of green and yellow-green Turquoise. In North America, Turquoise is found in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, and Central Mexico. The Califor- nia and New Mexico deposits were mined by Native Americans as far back as Pre-Co- lumbian times. Today, Arizona is one of the most important producers of Turquoise, fol- lowed by Nevada. While many of the Tur- quoise mines, like Bisbee, are inactive or depleted, the famous Sleeping Beauty and Kingman mines, as well as a few others, are still active. Page 41 For more information about Turquoise, including mines and rockhounding sites, visit Rocks In My Head at Space A37 in Rice Ranch, 605-376-8754, or online at www. RocksInMyHead.biz. We have Turquoise from the Sleeping Beauty Mine in Globe, AZ and the Carico Lake Mine in Nevada. We also have Chrysocolla, Azurite and Chryso- colla Silicate cabochons, and really cool cop- per nuggets. WWW.DESERTMESSENGER.COM for Deadline Schedule and Current Rate Card. RV PROCTOLOGIST Dirty Holding Tanks Need Servicing Annually. Let us clean them for you. WE SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS: • Chemical Buildup Problems • Gauge & Sensor • Compacted Debris • Biological Hazard • Odor 928-916-1908 www.rvholdingtankdoctor.com Full Service Cardiovascular Office in Quartzsite!

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