VINTAGE STERLING SILVER NATIVE AMERICAN NECKLACE PENDANT KINGMAN TURQUOISE. The world has had a fascination for turquoise for over 7000 years. The oldest known example of any jewelry was a carved turquoise and gold bracelet found on the mummy of an Egyptian queen. In the American Southwest, Native Americans have mined turquoise since prehistoric times. Many legends surround turquoise, it is believed to bring good fortune and health. While turquoise was once used as currency in the American Southwest, it has been treasured as an adornment throughout the centuries worldwide. The evolution of turquoise jewelry from its appeal as southwestern, Native American or tourist jewelry, to one of the most coveted gems set in designer jewelry worldwide. Coveted, that is, only if you are talking about true, genuine turquoise. And so our turquoise love story continues. While the demand for turquoise has increased dramatically, the supply of genuine turquoise is limited. The Kingman Turquoise Mine is one of the oldest and highest producing Turquoise Mines in America. It was originally discovered by prehistoric Indians well over 1000 years ago. Kingman Turquoise is known for its beautiful sky blue color and produces many variations of blue Turquoise. The Kingman Turquoise mine also produces green Turquoise from the Turquoise Mountain side of the mine. Kingman Turquoise has been the biggest supplier of Turquoise to the Southwestern Turquoise Jewelry industry for nearly as long as the American Turquoise Jewelry industry has existed. In fact, the Kingman Turquoise mine was once part of a Turquoise boom around 1000 AD when the Mayan culture was using a lot of Turquoise for self adornments and ceremonial items. Today, as in the old times, blue Turquoise from Kingman, Arizona is king, even though the mine produces all colors of Turquoise and green Turquoise is almost becoming blue Turquoise’s equal in popularity these days. The Mineral Park Mine, (Kingman Turquoise Mine,) is located in the Acerbate Mountains 14 miles northwest of Kingman, Arizona. It has been commercially mined since the late 1880’s to the early 1900’s by the Aztec Turquoise Co, The Los Angeles Gem Co, Arizona Turquoise Co, Southwest Turquoise Co and Mineral Park Turquoise Co and now the Colbaugh Processing Inc. Chuck Colbaugh represented Arizona in a gemstone exhibition competition held by the Smithsonian Institution for the State of Arizona with a spectacular Kingman Turquoise cabochon. Chuck and his wife, Edith also donated thirty Turquoise carvings made from Kingman Turquoise to the Mojave Museum of History and Art in Kingman in the early 1970s, they are still on display today. Chuck Colbaugh had the Turquoise Mining contract for Ithaca Peak and Turquoise Mountain since the early 1960’s and the concession is still in the family today run by Marty and son Josh Colbaugh. Today Kingman Turquoise is found in American Turquoise Jewelry as well as Turquoise Jewelry from around the world. The item “VINTAGE STERLING SILVER NATIVE AMERICAN NECKLACE PENDANT KINGMAN TURQUOISE” is in sale since Wednesday, November 7, 2018. This item is in the category “Jewelry & Watches\Ethnic, Regional & Tribal\Native American\Necklaces & Pendants”. The seller is “4744366” and is located in Andover, Massachusetts. This item can be shipped to North, South, or Latin America, all countries in Europe, all countries in continental Asia, Australia.
- Metal: Sterling Silver
- Jewelry Type: Necklaces Lavalier
- Ethnic Origin: Native American
- Main Stone: Turquoise
- Country of Origin: United States
- Material: Stone
- Tribal Affiliation: Navajo
- Modified Item: No