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Arizona Gemstones
Arizona has long been famous as a producer of turquoise, peridot, and petrified wood. Gemstones such as azurite, chrysocolla, and malachite are associated with Arizona’s many copper deposits and have a long history of being produced there. Agate, amethyst, garnet, jade, jasper, obsidian, onyx, and opal have all been found in Arizona and used to make gems. The photo here shows several cabochons cut from Arizona copper minerals. They…
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Patronage for Domestic Gemstones
Many people really enjoy gemstones produced from domestic deposits. Some mineral collectors favor certain localities, and some gemstone buyers (especially tourists) have a strong desire to purchase a “Montana Sapphire” or an “Oregon Sunstone” when they visit those states. This patronage strongly supports the price of stones from certain localities – far above the price…
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Why Is Production So Low?
Gemstone production in the United States is surprisingly low considering the large geographic area of the country and the large number of people who have a strong interest in finding gemstones. Three barriers stand between an interest in mining and the successful operation of a mine: 1) the cost of opening a mine; 2) the…
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Small Mines, Recreational Miners
Although the United States produces a diversity of gemstone varieties, the quantity produced is very small. In calendar year 2017 the total gemstone production of the United States was only $13 million. That amount is very very small compared to the $22.6 billion in gemstones that were imported for consumption. The United States has greater…
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States With Gemstone Production
Thirteen states produce almost all of the natural gemstones mined in the United States. They are listed below. Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Idaho Louisiana Maine Montana Nevada North Carolina Oregon Tennessee Utah
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Gemstones Produced in the U.S.
The United States Geological Survey reports that notable quantities of gem-quality agate, beryl, coral, diamond, garnet, feldspar, jade, jasper, opal, quartz, ruby, sapphire, shell, pearls, peridot, topaz, tourmaline, turquoise, and other gem materials are currently produced in the United States.
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A Diversity of U.S. Gemstones
A surprising diversity of gemstones are produced within the United States. Did you know that Montana is the home of world-famous sapphire localities, and that emeralds, rubies, and sapphires are all found in North Carolina? Have you ever seen an “Oregon sunstone” that flashes with a copper aventurescence, or a cultured freshwater pearl with a golden luster produced in Tennessee? These are just a…
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Substitutes for Gold
Because of its rarity and high price, manufacturers are always looking for ways to reduce the amount of gold required to make an object or substitute a less expensive metal in its place. Base metals clad with gold alloys have long been used as a way to reduce the amount of gold used in jewelry…
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Future Uses of Gold
Gold is too expensive to use by chance. Instead it is used deliberately and only when less expensive substitutes cannot be identified. As a result, once a use is found for gold it is rarely abandoned for another metal. This means that the number of uses for gold have been increasing over time. Most of…
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Gold Gilding and Gold Leaf
Gold has the highest malleability of any metal. This enables gold to be beaten into sheets that are only a few millionths of an inch thick. These thin sheets, known as “gold leaf” can be applied over the irregular surfaces of picture frames, molding, or furniture. Gold leaf is also used on the external and…