Fox Turquoise 3.43cts.
![Fox Turquoise 3.43cts.](/images/links/3335-Fox_Turquoise_Mine.jpg)
![Fox Turquoise 3.43cts.](/images/links/3337-Fox_Turquoise_Mine-Smallest.jpg)
![Fox Turquoise 3.43cts.](/images/links/3338-Fox_Turquoise_Mine-Smallest.jpg)
The Fox Mine once known as the Cortez was once the largest producing Mine in Nevada for over 50 years.mined for centuries by Indians it was first claimed by Charles Schmidtle .and Johnnie Francis in 1914.Dowell Ward purchased the claim in the 1940's and developed it into Nevada's most productive Turquoise Mine, by 1968 over 500,000 pounds of stone was mined.the Fox was marketed under the names Fox ,Smith, Whitehorse and the Green Tree. To differentiate the different colors.A smart marketing move which created a larger perceived share of the turquoise market the Fox famous for its bluish green Sea Foam Nuggets and hard Turquoise is highly sought after. Once owned by one of the Legends in Nevada Turquoise Mining. At one time Dowell Ward held over 275 mineral claims and from 1987 to 1997 held 64 claims totaling 1322 acres.Owner of some of the most famous Mines in Nevada the # 8 and the Lander Blue . Dowell passed on in 2001 at the age of 79 but his mark in the turquoise world lives on.
This 3.43 ct. stone measuring 14.5 x 8 mm was part of a vintage 1980's collection that I received from a retiring cutter who had been cutting for forty years and putting his best material aside for decades. He brought me a 50,000 ct. collection just before the COVID lockdown began. An aqua green with a light tan matrix.