Bisbee Turquoise from Arizona: Beads, Cabochons and Pendants for High-End Jewelry Making

Learn the fascinating history of the Bisbee turquoise mine and more informormation about this gorgeous stone suitable for jewelry-making projects with necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings. See a selection of Bisbee turquoise beads, nuggets, cabs and even some pendants for jewelry making.

The high-quality turquoise beads, cabochons and pendants from the Bisbee, Arizona turquoise mine can be harder to find than Sleeping Beauty turquoise and other types of natural Arizona turquoise. The beautiful vivid blue turquoise with a dark, intricate matrix is perfect for making gorgeous high-end jewelry.

Last Updated March 11, 2011

The history of Bisbee turquoise is not your average mining story.  Bisbee, Arizona was a mining town financed by Judge Dewitt Bisbee in the late 1800s and known for its copper ore - not its turquoise.  A few years after the Copper Queen mine merged with the Phelps Dodge Atlanta mine in 1885, the railroad came to Bisbee.  Still, pretty much only copper was mined there for decades, until in the 1950s when a low-grade copper pit mine was opened up.

So the fascinating question is, how did we get the brilliant blue turquoise found in Bisbee, Arizona out of a copper mine?  Well, it came primarily from the Lavender Pit of the Phelps Dodge Corporation Mine in the 1950s through the 1960s, when veins and nuggets of turquoise turned up in the copper mines as "waste" rock of all things!  Other smaller sources include the shaft mine in Campbell and the Mule Mountain stream beds.  This waste rock was put aside.

Employees were responsible for recovering most of the Bisbee turquoise.  They sneaked home with this "waste rock" and turquoise nuggets and were responsible for much of the so-called "mining" of Brisbee turquoise.  So no real turquoise mining was ever done in Bisbee, Arizona. Bisbee tourquoise, was, amazingly, a byproduct of copper mining.

As with other stones, turquoise is graded according to its treatments, color, and the presence of dark-colored patterns (matrix).

The deep, bright blue Bisbee turquoise, like many other types of Arizona turquoise, tends to be naturally hard and gem quality, and is not stabilized. The brilliant blue color makes it a highly-prized gemstone for jewelry designers.

The paler blue turquoise from the Bisbee mine is softer and not generally gem grade. You may also occasionally see green Bisbee turquoise, though it's less common and lower quality than the blue stones. Some of the lower grade turquoise has been stabilized for use in making jewelry.

Why does Bisbee turquoise cost more--both the treated and untreated varieties?  According to many Native American jewelry experts, pretty much all the available turquoise in Bisbee mine has been mined. The Bisbee turquoise beads, cabochons and pendants you see for sale are usually from existing collections of beads or jewelry.

Some of the old antique Southwestern Indian jewelry using Bisbee blue turquoise was made by the Navajos, Zunis and Pueblos and are the beautiful squash blossom necklaces. 

None of the peoples who made squash blossom necklaces--the Zuni, Pueblo and Navajo--actually called them "squash blossom"--the origin of the term has been lost.