Mini natural bright blue Turquoise chips 4-8mm on 16-inch strands
I suspect these are Kingman, or even possibly Sleeping Beauty turquoise (because of their color than thinness), but I didn't identify it when I bought it decades ago.
Known for its beautiful sky blue color, near lack of matrix, and hardness, Sleeping Beauty became famous worldwide, especially in Europe where it rivaled matrix-free Persian turquoise.It has also been extensively used by Native American jewelers who appreciated its durability as well as color and other qualities. The mine closed due to more stringent mining regulations in 2012 and the costs for any Sleeping Beauty rough, cabs, and beads that remain on the market have risen drastically since then as the supply diminishes.
The Kingman mine is one of the oldest, largest, and the last active turquoise mine in the US. Located in the Acerbate Mountains of Arizona, it has been worked by native people for over a thousand years. It produces a range of colors but is most famous for its vibrant sky blue turquoise, similar to Sleeping Beauty, but with a bit more black matrix, but sometimes also brown or white.
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