The History of Carico Lake Turquoise
The mining of Carico turquoise began with Gus Stennich, an older Austrian emigrant who was highly interested in gold and turquoise. Gus owned several gold claims and also many turquoise mines.
In 1929, he discovered a bright apple green deposit of turquoise, which was a highly unusual color for the stone. He claimed his stake and called the claim the Stennich Claim, after his namesake. Sometimes Carico Lake turquoise is called Stennich turquoise.
At the time, there were many thieves and foragers that stole lots of valuable gem quality turquoise from his claim in Nevada which caused much distress to Gus. He became known as a seedy and suspicious character, a persona that he created in order to deter these turquoise poachers.
As his death reached nearer, he scribbled a makeshift will onto a wrapper of bread, leaving the Stennich Mine to his best friend, J. W. Edgar. He died shortly afterward.
The mine changed hands over the years, and eventually fell into the hands of Ernie Montoya.
Ernie Montoya owns several major turquoise mines and has the largest private collection of turquoise in the world. He takes great care to properly mine Carico Lake turquoise, not to flood the market too quickly with the super-rare stone and is not exhausting the mine too quickly like other famous turquoise deposits like the Lander Blue.
It is also very difficult to mine Carico turquoise due to the harsh environmental conditions and isolated location of the mine. This leads to high scarcity in the market which has driven prices to swell, and is some of the most expensive turquoise on the market today.
Ernie Montoya, current owner of the Carico Lake Turquoise mine.
The Location of Carico Lake Turquoise Mine
The Carico Lake turquoise mine is located in Lander County, Nevada, named after a dried-up lake bed in the region. It is 50 miles south of the town called Battle Mountain. There are several active gold mines in the location and getting to the turquoise claim is a windy drive through dry, dusty, and harsh geography.
Do note that this claim is active and any attempt to try and collect this turquoise can result in very expensive penalties and fines. Make sure to check for any patented and unpatented claims if you plan to explore this area for precious metals and gemstones.
If you plan to be in this location, I recommend looking at the BLM claim map so you can see where claims are located and if they are active or inactive.
Carico Turquoise Colors and Characteristics
Carico is renowned for its green hues, ranging from bright apple greens, to more muted sage greens. There are also stones that include aqua colors and traditional sky blues. Carico can also range into warm earthy brown tones, and fade from green into brown.
Some Carico gems have a fading effect that goes from apple greens to muted mossy tones and then transforms into pastel blues. These gems are very rare and fetch a very high price tag.
The reason that Carico turquoise is green is due to the high zinc levels, therefore Carico is sometimes classified as faustite.
The matrix webbing in Carico turquoise gives it a striking and unique look that is not replicated in any other turquoise. The matrixing is brownish gold in color, and can even be black in some cases.
Carico ranks between a 5 to 6 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, making it one of the very few gem grade turquoise stones that does not require stabilization, also known as gem grade turquoise.
Carico Lake Turquoise Buyers Guide
I can tell you that it is highly difficult to determine where turquoise comes from just by looking at the stone. However, if you are looking for green Carico turquoise, it is much easier than other turquoise locations!
First you need to determine if the stone is real or fake. There are lots of low quality chalk turquoises that are compressed, filled, and dyed. These can range from easy to difficult to spot.
Many turquoise stones are vintage and will not come with a certificate of authenticity. Many gems are sold through third party sellers and not the original mine.
However, many turquoise jewelry dealers have good relationships with the jewelers and are aware of the gemstone source, the artist who created the jewelry, and could even hold a certificate of authenticity.
Curated Carico Lake Turquoise For Sale
In this list, I have curated some amazing specimens of Carico Lake turquoise, from loose gems, rough stones, to beautiful vintage jewelry pieces. All gemstones, artisans, and dealers have been researched as real and authentic, but make sure to do your own research!
Carico Turquoise Cuffs
The intense apple green is the most sought after Carico turquoise and this Carico cuff has four electrifying gems set in gleaming silver.
This heavy gauged stamped sterling silver Carico cuff with a blue green Carico gemstone really makes a bold statement.
This luscious Carico cuff is dripping with beautiful blue and green gemstones with a large pastel green Carico turquoise cabochon.
Carico Turquoise Squash Blossoms
The pastel tones of the Carico turquoise inlaid in the dark silver really make the stones pop! This Carico squash blossom also comes with matching earrings.
This Carico squash blossom necklace has diverse hues and measures at 31 inches long, and is a showstopper.
I love the deep greens in this carico squash blossom piece. The stones also feature the rare black matrix webbing. The artist directly sells her pieces so the price is reasonable.
Carico Turquoise Lake Earrings
I love the half blossom squash design of these dangling Carico Lake earrings.
These dangling Carico turquoise earrings have several beautiful bluish green stones.
The Carico stones in these drop earrings are bi-color with the apple green hue making them a rare find.
