Southwest Turquoise Sterling Silver Cross

This Southwest cross pendant has beautiful, genuine natural Sleeping Beauty (Tiffany of Turquoise) Turquoise cabochons set in a heavy gauge of Sterling Silver, each stone in its own hand made Sterling Silver casing decorated with individually hand made Sterling Silver dots. The bail has a traditional design. The Southwest cross pendant is 5" long by 3-1/4" wide, suspended from a complimentary chain. Turquoise stones and shapes may slightly vary. You'll be getting one from the group of hand made pendants pictured below.

Sleeping Beauty Turquoise: The Sleeping Beauty mine is seven miles outside of Globe, Arizona. It is noted for its solid, light blue color with no matrix. The host rock is usually granite. Sleeping Beauty Southwest turquoise is the favorite of the Zuni Pueblo silversmiths for use in petit point, needlepoint and inlay jewelry. This mine is one of the largest in North America. Monty Nichols, owner and miner of the Sleeping Beauty mine, says that the mine is producing about 1600 pounds a month. Of that, only 4% is natural. Most of the Southwest turquoise from the mine, 80-90%, is altered in some way. Most of that percentage is enhanced, which is more expensive than stabilization, and sold to large distributors in this country and Europe. Now, most of the Southwest turquoise that comes out of that mine comes from the tons of tailings piles that have been accumulating all these years.