"Bisbee Blue" is the nickname given to turquoise that comes from copper mines located in the vicinity of Bisbee, Arizona.
Though small amounts were found in the Campbell shaft mine, as well as in streambeds in the Mule Mountains, the vast majority of Bisbee Blue came to surface when the Phelps Dodge Corporation started open pit mining operations at the location now known as the Lavender Pit, especially the eastern side of the pit. Large amounts of a conglomerate rock bed needed to be removed before the deeper located copper ore could be reached. Within this conglomerate “waste” rock is where most quantities of the turquoise were located, both in vein and nugget form. Bisbee Blue can be found is many different shades of color and quality, from soft, low quality pail blue, to the hardest, most brilliant blue turquoise that can be found any where in the world, and most every shade of blue in between. Green turquoise is also found in Bisbee, but is not usually of very high quality.
During the time that the largest quantities of turquoise were being extracted from the mine, the company made no organized effort to recover it. It simply got loaded into large dump trucks and hauled off to the “dumps”. During this time (primarily through the mid-50s into the mid-60s), most all recovered turquoise was made by company employees, taking it home in their lunch boxes, etc. Though this activity was prohibited, it was only vaguely enforced. Depending on where the shovels were digging after blasting operations, large quantities of turquoise would be exposed, with many pieces too large to carry, to include stories of several turquoise “boulders” being disposed of. Being sometimes alone, out of sight and out of mind, truck drivers and security guards were able to do quite well in gathering turquoise, though many didn’t do so.
Most of the turquoise was dumped on the northern area of the dumps, along Arizona Highway 80 across from the Bisbee suburb called Saginaw, and in lesser quantities in an area known as South Bisbee. After the dumping activities in these areas were full, the company began dumping waste rock in other locations. At this time, individuals outside the company began sneaking onto the dumps and hunting for the turquoise. Though this activity was illegal (trespassing, and a large liability to the company), these individuals are responsible for recovering much fine Bisbee turquoise, recovering it from exposure, and from the leaching effect of chemical water being filtered through the dumps to extract copper downstream. For several years (mostly the mid-60s to early 70s), these individuals locally know as “dumpers” (the author of this article was one), were the only source for this fine turquoise. Also, during this time, Phelps Dodge leased out the dumps to an individual to mine the dumps for turquoise. Needless to say, they recovered quite a quantity, (though those who know the dumps well claim that there procedures were not very productive). The turquoise they discovered can now be bought at a store located at the Lavender Pit viewpoint on Highway 80 in Bisbee. It can only be bought made into jewelry. Today, much turquoise being sold in on-line auctions, etc, and being advertised as Bisbee Blue, is not authentic Bisbee Blue.
Even with the Bisbee Blue storefront selling the turquoise, Bisbee Blue turquoise is now very rare, especially in the higher grades. The highest-grade rock was never abundant. Present day illegal dumping activity is only recovering small amounts of any rock, especially high grade, and it seldom goes up for sale. Hard and glossy, with its distinctive bright blue color, and dark, chocolate brown matrix, high grade Bisbee Blue turquoise is exceptionally beautiful, and is unparalled with any turquoise found any where in the world.
Glance conglomerate. Tons of this type of rock needed extracted from the pit to reach the copper ore. This was the primary host material for the turquoise. Photo by Roger Weller, Cochise College, AZ.
An example of Bisbee turquoise embedded in the host rock. Photo by Roger Weller, Cochise College, AZ.
These are good examples of the unparrelled blue of fine Bisbee turquoise.
