|
 Utah
turquoise is not turquoise at all. It is variscite. Variscite is
hydrated aluminum phosphate, a rare mineral. It tends to be green in color,
whereas turquoise tends toward the blue part of the color spectrum.
Variscite was originally discovered in Germany but has been sold
in the U.S. as "Utah Turquoise." This name comes from the fact that much
variscite has been mined from the Lucin and Clay Canyon mines in Utah. Neither
mine is producing much of this mineral these days. Most variscite now comes from
Nevada and typically has black matrix.
 Variscite
is a beautiful gemstone in its own right. It is unlikely that individuals
selling it as turquoise are doing so fraudulently. |
