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Rare Bisbee Turquoise Bead Necklace 20" Hand Carved Italy

$3,250
£2,483.34
€2,968.95
CA$4,707.21
A$4,819.55
CHF 2,737.37
MX$61,635.64
NOK 31,488.82
SEK 32,721.05
DKK 22,193.23

About the Item

This 20" handmade necklace is composed of some of the most coveted turquoise on the planet: bisbee. Each bisbee turquoise bead here was individually hand-carved and hand-polished by a master lapidary artist in Italy, to create a turquoise necklace of exceptional quality. These beads were acquired by arguably the leading collector of bisbee turquoise specimens in the world. Bisbee turquoise is widely considered a geological anomaly and represents a high-water mark for American gemology. Sourced primarily from the Lavender Pit in Cochise County, Arizona, this turquoise was originally an incidental byproduct of massive open-pit copper mining operations. Because the Phelps Dodge Corporation focused exclusively on extracting copper and never formalized a turquoise program, most gem-grade Bisbee entered the market through informal channels—famously smuggled out of the mine in the lunch pails of workers. The mine ceased major operations in the 1970s and is now permanently closed, meaning every piece on the market today comes from existing private collections with no new material coming out of the ground. Visually, Bisbee is universally celebrated for its remarkably vivid, deep blue hue that ranges from a pure sky-blue to a rich, dense indigo. The stone is instantly identifiable by its signature matrix, an intricate host-rock inclusion that typically presents as a smoky, chocolate-brown to jet-black spiderwebbing, occasionally exhibiting a distinct reddish-brown or purple-gray cast. The unique chemistry of the deposit—specifically a low silica content and a favorable copper-to-aluminum ratio—produced an unusually hard stone with very low porosity. Thanks to this extraordinary density, Bisbee rarely absorbs ambient oils or perspiration, holding its brilliant color indefinitely without requiring the artificial stabilization treatments necessary for softer materials. The beads of this 20" strand are threaded with thin, strong wire and the piece is finished with a durable sterling silver clasp. Because this is not a necklace on hand-knotted silk, it is particularly well-suited to those who enjoy an active lifestyle. Most turquoise requires stabilization to be used in jewelry and while a few of these beads are, most are not, which makes this a true collector's piece.
  • Metal:
    Sterling Silver
  • Stone:
    Turquoise
  • Stone Cut:
    Bead
  • Weight:
    27 g
  • Dimensions:
    Length: 20 in (508 mm)
  • Place of Origin:
    United States
  • Period:
    2010-
  • Date of Manufacture:
    2023
  • Condition:
  • Seller Location:
    Northampton, MA
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU1589130286592

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