Possible Lander Blue?

So I found these two rings whilst going through our families collections and wanted some opinions on if this turquoise could possibly be Lander Blue? I know its very rare and not much was mined so id be surprised if it was. Thanks for anyone who takes the time to look. :slight_smile:

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I hate to steal the thunder from @Ziacat :grin: but it looks like vintage Kingman dense spiderweb I had back in the 80s.

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I agree with @StevesTrail, most likely Kingman, although it does remind me of some Nevada stones that I’ve seen like Blue Diamond. But being that Kingman is the most prolific American (although it’s possible that these are even Chinese turquoise) mine out there I would probably go with that. The one thing I will say is that it is NOT Lander Blue. Lander Blue to me has a very distinctly webbed matrix, not all blobby like this. Not to mention the fact that it’s exceedingly rare. Even if someone were to possibly find it in the wild, claiming it as such without really REALLY good provenance would be looked on his highly suspicious.

But if you are thinking about selling these you probably shouldn’t claim a mine since you don’t really know for sure.

Hey Steve, I don’t think I’ve guessed Kingman for a while, so maybe I can pass that crown to you :laughing:

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Oh no no no. I couldn’t. I wouldn’t feel right about it. Just a good SWAG on my part. You get to keep your Kingman crown.

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Nice looking stones, Blue Diamond is a good guess, or nice Hubei

Although Smoky Bisbee may not be out of the question, but without provenance, just guesses

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I agree with the previous opinions that these are most likely not Lander blue. My opinion is ā€œI don’t knowā€. I always want to see that ā€œelectric blueā€ and botryoidal spiderweb pattern. First off, your photos, in my opinion, are not good enough to make a determination. We on this site are giving an opinion partially based on the fact that it’s so so so rare…we are not experts. From what I’ve seen, Lander Blue, like all turquoise, can vary a bit in color and webbing, it’s not all that tight Spiderweb we love😊.
This is a grouping from a very knowledgable individual, Gene Waddell showing a bit of variation.


And acouple more cabs from Nevadagem.com, owned by Bob Brucia, the quintessential expert on Blue Gem:




So, good luck…

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No not selling just curious as me and my husband have been trying to study up on turquoise and have made it a game between the two of us on which it ā€œmightā€ be as I understand that its always a guess without specific knowledge of who mined it ect ect. lol and and as for provenance it was purchased from a jewelry dealer named Iesh( pronounced eye-E-sh) from New Mexico late 1990’s. I believe I have his card ariund somewhere tho Id be surprised if he was still around and had the same number. Thanks for your wisdom and time. :slight_smile:

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Thank you for the information I will definitely be researching the individuals you mentioned. :pray:

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I hear what @Bmpdvm is saying, that Lander Blue can have different looks, but I think these stones look quite different, especially with some of the swirly matrix. Of course we don’t know 100%, but Lander Blue is so rare, only about 110 lb were ever mined, that even if it did look like Lander Blue, the chances that it would be it are highly unlikely IMO. Here’s a link that talks about the turquoise.

And there are all kinds of claims all over the Internet about people having Lander Blue, way more than was ever even mined.

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As I mentioned, somehow these photos on my iPad have poor resolution …. I can’t see swirled matrix. If I remember, I’ll look on my desktop and see if it’s any better. Swirled matrix would not be typical in Blue Gem (from what I know):grimacing:.

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Maybe swirled wasn’t the right word, but this looks totally different to me than any of the pictures you posted. But you are correct, none of us are experts :grin: Also, you said Blue Gem, do you mean Lander Blue?

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The standing rule is: It’s not Lander Blue. For 99.999% of the time it’s like looking in your own garage right next to the stacked aluminum folding chairs and saying, ā€œI’m pretty sure I have a McLaren. Agree?ā€

Sorry, I kid. But you know, it just isn’t gonna be.

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Yes…I meant Lander Blue. I’m taking some medication that commonly causes brain fog…so that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.

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Sorry for the subpar photos I tried to get some clearer ones, thank you for everyones input it makes for an interesting conversation. :face_with_monocle::nerd_face:

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This doesn’t look like Lander to me. Best guess is Chinese. It’s still very nice material.

I’ve bought and set a lot of turquoise over the years, and have seen trays full of material like this selling at well under $1.00 a carat. Prices have increased, but it’s still fairly common and not terribly expensive.

Anytime you see material like this showing up in ordinary settings, it’s usually a 100% tip off that this isn’t turquoise that sells at hundreds of dollars a carat.

Some of it really looks very much like Lander, and there’s a strong tendency to jump on that similarity to reap undue profits. Many do so knowingly, and we appreciate your diligence in not doing so, and seeking knowledgeable advice.

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@mmrogers Thank you for your input, when did chinese turquoise start showing up in NA jewelry? I know these pieces have been in my family since late 90s and I asked my aunt(who used to run the trading post with her brother) and from what she remembers they came from a dealer named Iesh from New Mexico and were old when bought. Hoping maybe the timeline can help narrow down possible mines. Unfortunately no hallmark or even stamped sterling.

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We started seeing a lot of it in the mid 80s, so that time frame seems right. The vast majority of US made Native style, and native made jewelry, easily over 80%, comes from New Mexico, and usually in and around Gallup and Albuquerque/Santa Fe. It’s also produced overseas in Asia, of often falsely marketed as Native made. Material like yours was first marketed as ā€˜Tibetan’, and later as Chinese. The items you have are typical ā€˜production’ jewelry made in batches of 10 or more as piecework items where a business provides materials to the silversmith, and pays a fixed amount for each piece completed. Jewelry made like this is sometimes hallmarked, and quite often not.

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The top photos are a couple of pendants we made with what looks like material from the same mine in 87’ or 88’. That turquoise, cut by Eddie Mauzy, is from China.

The stones in the bottom two pendants are both from US mines.

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I agree with @mmrogers after seeing these better pictures. They do look like Chinese turquoise, especially the top left one. I had a ring with Chinese turquoise years ago (don’t have it anymore)with a stone that looked very much like that.

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@mmrogers yes after seeing your pictures im sure its chinese turquoise! Its uncanny the stones in your pendants and the stones in our rings! Ah well at least I ā€œhadā€ some Lander Blue in my mind for about 2.5 seconds. hahaha :joy: The reason for my other post just to clarify about is this turquoise? I’ve just started learning silversmithing and lapidary so I am trying to educate myself as much as possible. So even tho the people on this forum state they are no experts I greatly value the years of knowledge they have amassed and generously choose to share. :heart_eyes::blush:

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