Arizona has one of the longest histories of gemstone production in the United States. Native Americans began producing Arizona turquoise over 1000 years ago. They used it to make beads and small sculptures.
Arizona Gem Silica is a bluish green to greenish blue variety of chalcedony. It receives it vivid color from the presence of copper. Gem silica is always associated with copper deposits. It is a secondary mineral that forms as cavity linings and fracture fillings in the rocks above and adjacent to copper deposits. It is even known to occur as a mineral lining in geodes. Its occurrence, habits, and deposit geometries are like any other type of chalcedony. Commonly associated minerals include quartz, chalcedony, chrysocolla, and malachite.
The Miami-Inspiration Mine in Arizona is the best recent source of high-quality gem silica. The Keystone Copper Mine in Arizona produced notable amounts of gem silica in the early 1900s. Gem silica has been produced occasionally and in limited amounts from locations in New Mexico, Mexico, Peru, Taiwan, and the Philippines.
We have friends who have a claim near Globe in Gila County, Arizona where we have visited a few times to search for gem silica. We'll do an elementary "sound test" when searching for this material. When tapping this hard stone we'll hear a "ting" or"ping" sound as rated a 7 on the Mohs hardness scale.
Arizona Gem Silica is a bluish green to greenish blue variety of chalcedony. It receives it vivid color from the presence of copper. Gem silica is always associated with copper deposits. It is a secondary mineral that forms as cavity linings and fracture fillings in the rocks above and adjacent to copper deposits. It is even known to occur as a mineral lining in geodes. Its occurrence, habits, and deposit geometries are like any other type of chalcedony. Commonly associated minerals include quartz, chalcedony, chrysocolla, and malachite.
The Miami-Inspiration Mine in Arizona is the best recent source of high-quality gem silica. The Keystone Copper Mine in Arizona produced notable amounts of gem silica in the early 1900s. Gem silica has been produced occasionally and in limited amounts from locations in New Mexico, Mexico, Peru, Taiwan, and the Philippines.
We have friends who have a claim near Globe in Gila County, Arizona where we have visited a few times to search for gem silica. We'll do an elementary "sound test" when searching for this material. When tapping this hard stone we'll hear a "ting" or"ping" sound as rated a 7 on the Mohs hardness scale.
