50010.6 - 10x6 mm Oval Cabochon Cut Natural Non-treated Australian Turquoise for sale in Varous Wholesale Quantities and Wholesale Prices

This Turquoise, my “TurqOZ”, was mined in the excessive heat of the Central Australian desert by a public company in the late 1960's and into the early 1970's after which another company took over until mid-1970's.

Please read "AUSSIE GEMS" at the end)

Apparently, it was the only commercial Turquoise mine that has operated in Australia, although the core of the mining operation was centered around mining for Zinc.

Many tons were purchased and shipped by a gem exports company to the USA where the hippie days' Turquoise craze was still alive, although slowing down.

For the most part, the rough was sold to traders in that industry who in turn gave it to Amerindians on their reservations for to be made into genuine handmade Amerindian Turquoise Jewellery.

The US Government contributed Dollar for Dollar what the Amerindians were paid by the traders and huge quantities of Turquoise Jewellery were supplied to companies for their Mail Order Catalog.

Back in Australia, the mining company ran into a bit of bother as it was forced to close its mining operations as it was approaching an Aboriginal sacred site.

Besides that, they had basically run out of Turquoise bearing ground and the Zinc mining was no longer viable, anyway.

I bought all the rough that the mining company had on hand at the time it seized mining, decided to put it in storage "for the time being"… (oh yes... really?) and soon become another classic case of my "out of sight, out of mind"...

Fortunately, there comes a time in life when a good cleanup is needed and so, after 40 years of "hibernation" in a storeroom, I "discovered" the rough.

But then, with 40 years of gemstone trading having passed, I realized that not only was the Turquoise very special from the ORIGIN point of view, but it was also good enough to be used in its NATURAL state and not having to be injected with a resin to stabilize the Turquoise... which most Turquoise require.

This combination of ORIGIN and being NATURAL makes this Turquoise very SPECIAL and RARE.

"TurqOZ"... After half a Century in hibernation, The Sleeping Beauty of OZ has awoken...

AUSSIE GEMS:

Australians has in recent years not only "re-discovered" Opal... possible in part due to the Australian Government proclaiming it to be The National Gemstone Of Australia… but they have also become aware of other Australian Gemstones like my "TurqOZ", Sapphires, Chrysoprase and of course; Pink, Champagne and Cognac Diamonds.

Australians were only aware of Australian Blue Sapphires... with no idea about the other colours, blend of colours and two toned Sapphires (Parti Colours) that Australia was producing and sending overseas…

Australian Jewellers would NOT buy them, make jewellery and put in their window or showcase... "because no one asked for them..." (True story… believe it or not… and how the public was to be made aware of the existence of these stones… if not from the Jewellery industry… is rather a mystery…)

That was until the internet arrived and the public were able to see thousands of interesting Sapphires... Australian Sapphires that the jewellers had blocked out from the public… their OWN CUSTOMERS… because they couldn’t be bothered to show the Australian people for many decades, even a Century… but today a popular and good selling item.

Please message us if you can't find what you are looking for in our shop, whether it be Yellow, Golden, Green, Teal, Blue, Black or Parti Colour Sapphire... or anything in Opal... and, if you are looking for quantities... you have come to the RIGHT place...

We do not import, promote or sell Synthetic or Man Made Opal, nor any non-Australian mined Opal.

On 27 July, 1993, The Australian Government proclaimed Opal as the National Gemstone of Australia!