Blue Diamond Turquoise

Blue Diamond turquoise comes from a small Nevada mine that saw most of its production during the 1960s and 1970s. Though the claim has changed hands several times over the decades, it has remained largely unworked in recent years, which means the material that reached the market during its productive decades is essentially all that most collectors will ever see.

The classic look of Blue Diamond turquoise is a dark, saturated blue set against a black matrix that appears as dendrites or small triangular chert inclusions, giving each stone a bold, graphic quality. Some material shows a smoky black matrix instead, and a portion of the deposit has also produced attractive greens. The deep, swirling blue tones are considered the mine's signature look and are what most collectors associate with the Blue Diamond name.

Because production was concentrated in just a couple of decades and the mine has been mostly dormant since, genuine Blue Diamond turquoise is uncommon today, making pieces set with it a nice find for anyone building a collection of classic American turquoise.

Look for that deep blue paired with bold black dendritic matrix if you're hoping to spot Blue Diamond turquoise in a vintage piece. Explore more turquoise varieties in our Gemstone Guide.