Great question. I was wondering the same.
Did some searches and found mixed results.
1 Like
Another of my favorites! Older Blue Gem by Herbert Platero Sr… It sounds like sleigh bells if you shake it around!
12 Likes
@Ziacat i don’t know if there any rules, but i like to think of it having 4 colors and up. Often blue & green in the turquoise and ocre and sienna brown in the matrix. And then sometimes (additional) black & white, yellow, red etc. To my eyes your gorgeous Ceremonial is a great example of polychrome turquoise
2 Likes
@ziacat i think you should go, maybe they could make you an ambassador for their turquoise 
I would really like to be able to participate in one of the Royston mine tours someday
3 Likes
Thank you! I thought that might also be an example of it. It’s so weird, I don’t even know that it’s Kingman. The artist thought it was from Nevada (only thing he felt sure about was that it was natural turquoise), but he couldn’t remember for sure. He had a whole table of rings made with wild looking stones from all over the world, and he did say sometimes he got them mixed up.
A tour of the Royston mine would be fun. I haven’t spent much time in Nevada, so maybe someday!
2 Likes
This is crazy cool!! And those stones! I love how turquoise can be so surprising. I didn’t know Blue Gem could have that much green in it, but that’s a turquoise I’m not quite as familiar with.
Edit: Found this on Garland’s site, so there it is - blue and green!
4 Likes
That is very cool to read. I’ve never seen a single Native American item being offered in real life over here yet. And i’ve been thrifting fairly often. To see a whole table full of it with the artist being present as well, wow!
And i’m very intrigued with the Ceremonial turquoise. I find it beyond pretty and like how it’s a little mysterious also
3 Likes
I love that necklace and I’m so glad you bought it and “saved me from financial ruin” !
4 Likes
Absolutely it’s a colloquial way to describe the coloration, but I don’t recall ever seeing the term “polychrome” for turquoise until some marketeers started using it to pitch non-US or otherwise atypical turquoise. The classic books we all know and refer to on Native jewelry haven’t used that expression. I think the reason is that it’s a given that American turquoise stones have shade variation, even dramatically so–not to mention the obvious factor of matrix being different in color from the blue/green.
Carry on. 
4 Likes
[quote=“Ziacat, post:26, topic:13325”]
Edit: Found this on Garland’s site, so there it is - blue and green!
That Blue Gem in the Garland’s cuff looks similar to this! Pretty sure it’s the biggest piece of turquoise I have of any kind. It’s 3" x 2-1/2"! I guess you could call it four colors with blue and green turquoise and the tan and brownish gold matrix! It’s like wearing one of those old sand filled exercise weights you strapped to your ankles, except on your wrist! It’s over 10-1/2 oz.
6 Likes
Yeah, well, I’m dumb as a stump sometimes!
Note to self…Be more like Islandmomma!! 
5 Likes
Y’all crack me up 
Maybe wearing my cuffs when I teach skating is actually exercising 
4 Likes
Very pretty and expensive wrist weights. 
4 Likes
This was recently posted on Thunderbird Supply FB page.
It is exceptional.
Adam Fierro:
Finally finished up this blackjack turquoise squash blossom necklace
First of its kind.
See it in Thunderbird Supply Company’s advertisement campaign!
10 Likes
That’s beautiful! I didn’t really know anything about blackjack turquoise, so I googled it. I found a good video, and I’m going to watch it when I get home from work later this evening.
2 Likes
@fernwood Wow, that’s a gorgeous squash blossom necklace!! I really like Blackjack turquoise ~ it’s so striking. Beautiful craftsmanship, too.
1 Like
I had to share it here. The variety of colors is amazing.
I am going to check out the artist.
2 Likes
Me either, I was today years old when I heard the term - now I’ll need to research as well.
2 Likes
Adam Fierro is on Facebook and uses a good bit of Blackjack turquoise. He tends to make substantial dramatic pieces and uses lovely models at times. I do know he posts in some of the private groups but you can probably find him just by searching. Adam Fierro Here you go.
2 Likes
