Sourced from Arizona’s Verde Valley region, this turquoise is cherished for its rich green hues and unique character. The stones typically display vibrant green to blue-green color, often with distinctive matrix patterns – in some pieces the dark matrix is so finely dotted it’s described as “constellation-like,” resembling stars in a green sky. Like most turquoise, its hardness is in the 5–6 range on the Mohs scale. However, high-grade Verde Valley material is rare; many stones are quite porous and thus are usually stabilized or given an enhancement treatment to improve their durability. Silver Sun’s Verde Valley turquoise is presented in an enhanced form, which hardens the stone without altering its natural color, ensuring the jewelry lasts for generations.
The Verde Valley area has long been rich in copper minerals (azurite, malachite, and others), so the recent discovery of turquoise there adds a new chapter to the region’s legacy of blue-green stones. Though Verde Valley turquoise has no ancient lore – it only entered the market in modern times – it has quickly gained admiration among collectors and artisans. Navajo silversmiths, including those at Silver Sun, are now incorporating this rare Arizona stone into their creations, celebrating its lush green color. In this way, Verde Valley turquoise jewelry links a fresh find with the Southwest’s rich mining heritage and Native American jewelry traditions.
