Morenci turquoise comes from the enormous Morenci copper mine in southeastern Arizona, and like most Arizona turquoise it was never the point of the digging — it was recovered alongside the copper. Commercial turquoise recovery there ended decades ago, so Morenci is finite: the stone being set today came out of the ground a long time ago and was held in private hands until it reached the bench.
It is one of the easier Arizona stones to identify once you know the tell. Morenci is a high, clear blue, and it is shot through with irregular flecks of pyrite that read as bright silver against the stone. Where most turquoise matrix is dark and soft-edged, Morenci’s pyrite is metallic and sharp, and good material can look as if someone scattered silver dust through it. The blue itself tends to be even and strong rather than mottled.
Because the supply is fixed, Morenci turns up in smaller numbers than Kingman or Sleeping Beauty, and it is usually reserved for pieces worth the stone — gold work, heavier silver, bolo ties and buckles. Everything here is handmade with natural stones. Each piece is one of a kind, and when a Morenci piece sells we cannot replace it with the same stone.
If you are looking for something specific in Morenci, call us — the showroom sometimes holds pieces that are not online yet.
Silver Star Jewelry is family owned in Old Town Scottsdale, at 7257 East First Ave, and has been since 1979. Open every day — Sunday through Thursday 10:30 to 6:00, Friday and Saturday 10:30 to 7:00. Call (480) 949-1101. Free shipping within the US on orders over $99, and 14-day returns and exchanges.
More Arizona turquoise: Arizona Turquoise · Kingman Turquoise · Sleeping Beauty Turquoise · Bisbee Turquoise · All Turquoise · The Turquoise Guide