Nice find! I really like your ring especially the shape of the cab. Too bad it’s not signed! Is there anything on the inside of the band? I think there is very little doubt it’s NA, but hard to say about the turquoise, except that it’s that nice deep blue with interesting black matrix. I have an older Godbur-Burnham ring with similar to this, but I’d be hesitant make a call.
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What a pretty ring; looks Navajo made. I like those bigger shanks, because it seems like if I wear them on my right hand in particular, I’m always flattening the band. No guess on the stone. Great score!
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@Steve, thanks for uploading that pic, and sorry for the previous post – I am pretty tired so I immediately assumed you were saying this ring was from that listing 
Deleted it because I realized I had goofed.
Whereas you’re just saying this turquoise is probably Hubei, right – like the one on the Gemstoned Jewelry site? It really does look similar.
@Ziacat , thanks for the kind comment. Steve is suggesting it’s Hubei, and it certainly looks a lot like the example he provided above. If it is Hubei, it’s my first Chinese turquoise (as far as I know). A very pretty stone.
Now, if it is Hubei turquoise, does that imply it may not be Navajo / Native American? And how long has Hubei turquoise been used in NA jewellery? I poked around older posts a bit but I haven’t spotted that information yet.
Edit: In this thread, @Bigbree43 quoted PuebloDirect.com as saying, “In the mid-1980s when Chinese turquoise started coming to the US market in large quantities, unscrupulous dealers would often sell Chinese turquoise as Number 8, Lander Blue or many other famous mines…” And on the Perry Null site, there’s an article – American vs Chinese Turquoise – that says, “Since the days Chinese turquoise entered the American market, over 30 years ago…” Unfortunately the article is undated, but the meta tags indicate says it was created in September 2019.
So either way, I guess it’s been around for awhile!
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the Bao Canyon turquoise showed up several times in search results and then some of the Hubei started to blend in as well.
side by side could go either way.
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Thank you for the further explanation, @Steve !
Is there an American turquoise that has a similar appearance? Or would you say this is beyond a doubt Chinese – just a matter of which mine in China?
I’m not objecting because it’s Chinese or anything like that… just trying to work out what that might imply – if anything – in terms of date, origin, etc.)
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Chinese turquoise is definitely used by some Native American artists, so it still could certainly be Native made. While it could be Chinese, it also has the feel of some American turquoise too; but I don’t know what. Could still be Kingman, it imitates everything 
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@Ziacat , a ha ha! I was waiting for the Kingman reference! 
But you are right, of course. I’ve seen enough Kingman pieces to know it has enormous colour and matrix/pattern variation.
Anyway, it’s not too critical – I bought this little fella for the equivalent of US $21, and it was merely described as “southwestern”, so there were no false claims in any case. I just wish it could talk! As I imagine everyone does, continually, when they find an interesting piece without provenance.
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I always feel like when I guess Chinese turquoise it’s just because it looks … different… to me. I can’t put a finger on it. But I really don’t have a clue about this stone. It also looks like the pics Steve posted. It didn’t really hit me as Kingman either, but So! Much! Turquoise! out there is Kingman. I’m also not good at dating jewelry, but this doesn’t look particularly old.
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Gotcha. I think I was misled into thinking “oldish” by the slightly wonky shank on the back. But there’s no reason a modern ring can’t have some wonkiness!
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I’m good with “oldish!” I don’t necessarily think it’s new. And whatever the stone is, it’s a really pretty color of blue. I have a couple things I may post on here eventually, because I think they may be Chinese stones. I had always chosen to not buy Chinese, not because I think there’s anything wrong with it, but because I just wanted Southwest turquoise. But Chinese turquoise is also a good imitator. There’s some Chinese turquoise that I find to be kind of odd looking; but the blue stuff that Steve posted is really pretty.
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I would love to see your Chinese turquoise! And all this is wonderful for education. I’m looking forward to deep-diving into some of the older threads on Hubei / Chinese turquoise.
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Good call, @Steve! The Hubei turquoise I’ve seen does have that heavy black chert like in references you provided. @chamekke, some well known Navajo artists use both American and Chinese turquoise. I have one known Hubai cuff. It’s by a good Navajo artist, Lee Begay. I’m sure others on this forum also have pieces with Hubai turquoise.
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That’s a beauty! Is that a wee hummingbird I spy on the right? If so it needs to be in the bird thread 
Yours and @chamekke’s turquoise is lovely. There is some Chinese turquoise that (to me) has odd color and matrix. Like this…
Okay, I really have got to go to bed! Gotta work in the AM.
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Yes I have a number of NA pieces with Chinese turquoise most of which have been posted on here at one time or another. I’ll try and find some pictures.
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Here are a few of my rings with Chinese turquoise. The 2 thunderbirds are by Nellie Bain, Navajo and the other ring is hallmarked “AJ, Navajo”. The 3 rings on the left are non-NA made. (I’m of the belief that there are Native American silversmiths who, at times, have used Chinese turquoise in their work and continue to do so.)
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