Rough Turquoise & Raw Variscite

Rough turquoise is a copper oxide, often occurring in or near copper deposits. The natural raw turquoise color depends upon the amounts of copper and iron, which will determine whether the stone is more blue or green. The naturally occurring ore in which real turquoise grows creates beautiful brown matrix webbing in the blue stone that many find desirable. Much of the rough turquoise we sell comes from locations here in the United States. Finding high quality domestic turquoise for sale is rare as many mines throughout the US have been in the reclamation process for quite some time having been mined out years ago. Read more about the origin and properties of turquoise.

Variscite is called a "cousin" of turquoise with slight difference in chemical make-up. Variscite stone originates from Nevada and Utah of the American southwest and is available in a rough finish. There are several varieties available with color from a range of greens to blues with greens and spiderweb. The Mohs hardness is 4-6 and is a great material for carving or cabbing, it also works well for bead making and inlay.

Please see individual item descriptions for origin and characteristics. Different grades are almost always available, so if you don't see what you want, be sure to contact us. Click on the Turquoise Name to see more about the Domestic Turquoise Mines. Note that most raw turquoise has been spritzed with water to show how the rough stone will look after it has been polished.

Also, don't miss our beautiful turquoise cabochons and beads, made from the best jewelry quality turquoise and ready to set or string, finished turquoise jewelry and rare specimens for your collection!