Seafoam, nugget, matrix and all that

Thought I’d start a new post on this. So these 2 rings seem kinda like seafoam or nugget?



The shop owner described the shadowbox ring as seafoam; I assume it’s Kingman.

The other ring is Kingman and has very much changed color since I got it (I like it better now!)

So I assume it’s natural. Got it pawn from Tobe Turpen’s when they sold some stuff at the Eiteljorg back in the 90’s.

Regarding matrix, I think these are good examples of the whole discussion on darkening it. The shadowbox one might have been, and I believe the other one was, because you can see the dark matrix becoming white. I do wear that one a lot.

Anyone have other thoughts and examples? Makes us all wiser buyers.

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@Ziacat Thanks for starting this discussion, Should be interesting. So I would call your two pieces nugget, but they are on the cusp of seafoam, especially the green, if that makes sense (?). I’m saying this because the surface irregularities are more irregular and subtle, and it lacks the characteristic “bubbly” appearance. Hope to see more interesting pieces and other opinions.

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Yes, the shadow box one didn’t really look like the right color to me. And actually the other one really wasn’t greenish at the beginning; it was more a pale blue. So the color is more because I’ve had it for so long and worn it a lot, and the color changed. Funny thing was my husband never liked it, now that it changed darker he likes it.

Heres an example from eBay. It’s a “Seafoam Kingman pendant” by Orville Tsinnie. This is the type of dark blue seafoam I was referring to in the other post.

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Yes, that makes sense. The 2 I have are not particularly “bubbly.” But agree with an earlier comment on another thread, that there must be differing opinions on this. Because the gentleman who sold it to me (he was a son of one of the Ortega’s of the shops out west), described it as seafoam. But I agree I think it looks more like what you call nugget.

@Ziacat Yep, I’m not surprised! It is “Seafoamish” Lol! I’m no expert and everyone has a differing eye as to what they call seafoam…That’s OK. Hopefully we will hear a lot of other opinions!

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I really have never cared for seafoam jewelry…may be changing my mind. I didn’t think I had any examples until I remembered some natural turquoise nuggets. The same turquoise, differing forms:
Seafoam:

Same natural turquoise, not seafoam:

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So do you know what kind of turquoise this is?

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Yes; This is natural Poor Boy Turquoise (Turquoise Chief mine - a copper, gemstone, uranium mine). It was mined between 1926 - 1932. The mine is in Lake County Colorado, northwest of Leadville.

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Interesting, that’s the mine I looked up when you posted your coral necklace. It seems to have white matrix also.

@Ziacat Yes, it’s the same. When I purchased the Kewa coral and turquoise necklace, I also purchased a few nuggets as an example of what the mine produced. It’s an obscure mine and I’ll probably never see any of this stuff again, but at least I now have a Seafoam nugget :grinning:.
interesting about the white matrix…not my favorite. Guess it’s just one type of host rock. interesting that its hard to see in the angular nugget, but stands out in the nooks and crannies of the seafoam nodules.

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Here’s another spin on it. The lady I bought my very first NA jewelry from a few years ago (she’s in her upper 70s) always refers to it as “bubble gum” turquoise! :laughing:

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