Desert Messenger

December 5, 2012

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December 5, 2012 www.DesertMessenger.com True Blue Arizona���s Blue Gemstones ADVENTURES WITH ROCKS underground at a depth of about 60 feet, where it is found as veins or nuggets in the surrounding rock. By Jenn Jedidiah Free Arizona is famous for its Turquoise. Sleeping Beauty, Kingman, and the famous Bisbee Blue are some of the more familiar names. Another beautiful mineral found here is Chrysacolla, which is often mistaken for Turquoise because of its color. While both Turquoise and Chrysacolla, 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, Chrysacolla is a hydrous copper silicate which occurs in the oxidation zones of copper deposits. Basically, that means it is ore containing copper and silica that has been altered to the mineral Chrysacolla through contact with air and water. Chrysacolla is a rather common mineral here in our copper-rich region of Arizona and is found in association with Azurite, Malachite, and Cuprite. It is a surface mineral, which makes it an important indicator of copper deposits. Turquoise, on the other hand, is a hydrated copper aluminum phosphate. It is a secondary mineral caused by alteration in arid environments of aluminum bearing rocks rich in Apatite, Chalcopyrite, and Chalcedony. Sul���des are also present in Turquoise deposits here in Arizona. In other words, while Turquoise is associated with copper deposits, it also needs the presence of aluminum and phosphate in order to form. Because of this special recipe, Turquoise is not as common as Chrysacolla. Turquoise is typically formed as ���ssure ���llings Vein Turquoise forms as a solution ���lling cracks, called ���ssures, in the host rock. Most vein Turquoise is clear, or free of matrix, however, some vein Turquoise does contain matrix. Nugget Turquoise is formed as the Turquoise collects in small pockets Sleeping Beauty Mine and holes within clay-���lled ���ssures. Commonly, nuggets will have a thin, evenly-spaced ���spider-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 example, 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 minerals present in the host rock, and can often 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 the scales toward a green to DENTURES $350 Full Set QUARTZSITE SNOWBIRD SPECIAL: ��� US Military trained w/ 30 plus years experience ��� Satisfaction Guaranteed! ��� Partials starting at $175 Same Day Dentures and 1 Hour Reline/Repairs!! Dental Laboratory Service Call: 623-444-4013 ��� Goodyear, AZ 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 ���ne examples of green and yellow-green Turquoise. In North America, Turquoise is found in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, and Central Mexico. The California and New Mexico deposits were mined by Native Americans as far back as Pre-Columbian times. Today, Arizona is one of the most important producers of Turquoise, followed by Nevada. While many of the Turquoise mines, like Bisbee, are inactive or depleted, the famous Sleeping Beauty and Kingman mines, as well as a few others, are still active. Page 19 Quartzsite Massage & Body Works Licensed in Swedish, Healing Touch, Deep Tissue, and Certified Medical Massage for Arthritis Call Elinore 928-458-0049 for Appt. AZ #MT07050 C&B LOCK & KEY Betty Crenshaw CML Owner 37 Years Experience For information about Turquoise Chrysacolla, including mines and rockhounding sites, visit RocksInMyHead at Space A37 in Rice Ranch, 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 Chrysacolla, Azurite and Malachite, cabochons and rough, and really cool copper nuggets. 928-927-6589 We offer demos in lapidary and prospecting on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1-3 at our Rice Ranch location. Call 605-376-9754 for more information. Bonded - Insured BLM Approved MOBILE SERVICE ONLY RVs Autos Residential Commercial Serving Quartzsite and Surrounding Areas Quartzsite General Store, LLC For all your GROCERY NEEDS & MOORE! Stop in and see us! THE MANAGEMENT TEAM Don & Lois Moore Rick & Sherri Garlow Check out our NEW LOWER Prices & Friendly Service! Quality Meats at VERY Affordable Prices! Open Daily from 8am to 7pm Welcome Back Snowbirds! Beer & Wine Fresh Retail & Wholesale Meats Homemade Sausages Arizona Lottery & Pick Fish & Game Licenses A.P.S. Pay Station We Accept EBT and Debit Cards 410 E. Main Street, Quartzsite ��� 928-927-6310

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