Turquoise in New Mexico - New Mexico Bureau of Geology

in NewMexico
Turquoise
Geologist
H.Weber,
Senior
byRobert
NM
Socorro,
Resources,
ol MinesandMineral
NewMexicoBureau
Turquoise deposits are widely numeroustechnicalreports dating from The Azure mine was particularly noteworthy for both the quantity and quality
distributedin New Mexicoin a triangular- l 8 5 8 .
sepof turquoiseproduced.Mine development
two
in
localized
are
Fe
Major deposits
shapedregion extendingfrom Santa
extendedacrossa fracturedzone40 to 60
ChalMount
mi
apart,
on
3
clusters
Otero,
arate
northern
apex
to
County at the
Dofra Ana, and Grant Counties in the chihuitl and TurquoiseHill, a few miles ft wide on four adit levels,with a large
south. The principal depositsthit have north of Los Cerrillos. Extensiveprehis- open pit later excavatedfrom the second
beensourcesof significantproductionare toric workings are noteworthy at both level to the surface.The best turquoise
distributedin four districts:The Cerrillos localities. Turquoise occurs as narrow wasrecoveredwithin 100ft of the surface,
district near Los Cerrillos in Santa Fe veinletsand nodulesrangingin color from with a remarkableconcentrationin the
County: the Burro Mountains district in paleto bright blue throughbluishgreento "Elizabeth pocket" extending 150 ft
the vicinity of Tyrone, Grant County; the dark greensetin a matrix of alteredmon- alongthe vein, acrossa width of up to 40
Eureka (Hachita) district near Hachita, zoniteand latite. Brown limonite staining ft. and over a verticaldistanceof 40 to 60
period
Grant County; and the Orogrande of the matrix is common; occasionalin- ft. Production estimatesfor this
for
the
million
million
to
$4
(Jarilla) district near Orogrande,Otero clusionsof pyrite in turquoisehave been rangefrom $2
million
to
and
up
alone,
$5
Azure
mine
noted.
County.
Modern production bY non-Indian for the entire district. The former
Minor occurrenceshave been recogRita
miners
began in the 1880's,reacheda turquoise-producingpropertiesnow are
nizedin the White Signaland Santa
districts in Grant County, the Organ peak during the 1890's, and declined controlledby PhelpsDodgeCorporation'
district in Dofra Ana County, and the rapidly during the earlyyearsof the 20th
Eurekadistrict
Nogal district in Lincoln County. Other century,althoughintermittentproduction
deposits of the Eureka
Turquoise
reported occurrencesremain unverified; in the district continuedat the Blue Bell
easternside of the Little
on
the
district.
probably the mineral is more widely dis- mine until 1925.Estimatesof production
about 6 mi west of
Mountains
Hatchet
tributed in minor amountsthan has been valuesvary *idely, reportedlyexceeding
in 1885 by
were
rediscovered
Hachita,
Amer$2 million from operationsof the
recognized.
while exRyan
Con
and
Burwell
Sterling
Inasmuchas all known depositsare on ican TurquoiseCo. The bulk of this progold
they
for
ploring
diggings
ancient
patented or unpatentedmining claims, duction was from the Tiffany (Castilian)
Aztecs
by
mined
there
had
been
believed
and leaseholdson State lands, express mine at TurquoiseHill, reputedto have
Turquoise mining
permissionof the claim owner or lessee yieldeda higherproportion of high-grade or early Spaniards.
in the district for
intermittently
continued
must be obtainedprior to enteringprop- gem materialthan any other mine in the
during
years.
developed
Mines
25
next
the
United States.Someestimatesplace the
erty to collector prospectfor turquoise.
Cameo,
Azure,
the
period
included
this
The significanceof turquoiseto prehis- total productionof the district as high as
Turinterestin the Cerri- Galilee. Aztec, and the American
toric inhabitants of the region is evi- $9 million. Renewed
occurred
The
turquoise
quoise
Company.
years
has
denced by the ancient workings (with llos district in the last few
up to one-half inch
primitivemining tools)that led stimulated exploration for copper and in irregular seams
associated
and limonitefractured,
altered,
in
thick
of major depositsin the turquoise,but dataon any turquoiseproto the rediscovery
lesserextent
a
also
to
monzonite;
stained
late 1800's.Although the beginningsof ductionarelacking.
to basaltic volcanic rocks,
in
andesitic
this industry are obscure,archeological
Burro Mountainsdistrict
sandstoneand diorite. Clay mineralsand
evidenceextendsto circa200B.C. During
jarosite
turcommonly were associatedwith
district,
Mountains
In the Burro
the intervalof approximately900 to 1650
Fine gem-quality stones
number
a
the
turquoise.
quoise
from
recovered
has
been
A.D., turquoisewasintensivelyexploited,
in
colorsthat rangedfrom
6
about
were
recovered
prospects
in
area
an
mines
and
of
and in the form of beads,pendants,inlay
paleblue through dark sky blue to greenTyof
new
townsite
the
mi
of
southwest
and mosaicwork, becamea widespread
as ish blue, the paler varietiestendingto be
trade commodity throughout the rone. Turquoiseis widely distributed
in relativelysoft. Many stoneswerefinished
zones
in
fractured
nodules
veinlets
and
Southwestand Mexico. The recoveryof
porphyry
in attractive yellow and brown ironquartz-monzonite
granite
and
more than 65,000piecesduring excavaacstainedmatrix pieces;cameoswere cut
sericite
and
to
kaolinite
highly
altered
tions at Pueblo Bonito in ChacoCanyon
The tur- from someof the seamsin which a tightly
indicatesthe magnitudeof turquoisetrade companiedby secondarysilica.
color in bondedbrown matrix servedas the base
quoise
of
wide
range
exhibitsa
with regionslackinglocal sources.
variousshadesof blue and green,and in- for the carving.No production data are
Cerrillosdistrict
cludes some of the finest gem-quality availableeitherfor pastor currentoperaDeposits in the Cerrillos district are material found anywherein the world. tions in the area, but evidentlythe total
particularlywell known from both arch- Pure nuggetsup to 1500caratshavebeen yield has been small comparedwith the
Cerrillosand Burro Mountainsdistricts.
eologicaland historicalrecordsspanning recovered.
The "original" discoverywas madein
a periodfrom about900A.D. throughthe
Orograndedistrict
Spanish Colonial and American occupa- l8?5 by John E. Colemanat the site of
As in the previouslydescribeddistricts,
tions of the region. In terms of historic prehistoricmine workings.Major mining
prehistoric
workingsin the Jarilla Mounand production,Cerrillostur- activity took place from 1890-1910at
significance
few
miles north of Orogrande,
a
tains,
quoiseis pre-eminentamongthe deposits severalproperties,including the Azure,
]:F
of the United States, evidenced by Parker,and Porterfield(Maroney)mines.
New Mexico Geology
August 1979