Vintage Navajo Sterling Silver High Grade Carico Lake Turquoise Cuff Bracelet

Navajo 1970s Genuine high grade Carico Lake Turquoise set in Heavy Gauge Sterling Silver Bracelet. The turquoise in the center has a natural quartz inflection size bracelet is 5"½ plus 1"? Gap 18mmx10mmwide weight 35.2grams no marks but tested as sterling silver The Carico Lake mine is named after the dried up lake bed in Nevada where this unique material is mined.

The mine produces a wide variety of turquoise ranging in color from dark blues to light greens, some with yellow or dark blue "water" webbing. Most sought after is the intense apple green material.

Identified as faustite, it is a cousin of turquoise containing more Zinc which causes the color Being a lake bed, the mine also produces rare and highly collectible clam pseudo-morphs: ancient clam fossils in which the turquoise filled the natural cavities of the shells. Today the claim is owned by Ernie Montoya of Albuquerque, NM and is actively being mined.

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