CANDELARIA
Candelaria turquoise was mined in an area not too far from Tonopah, Nevada in the Candelaria Hills. There is little reference to Candelaria turquoise in the mining literature. The turquoise in this area was usually found in thin veins and is known for its beautiful almost electric blues sometimes with a light matrix. Some of the material rivaled the bright Blue Gem turquoise that was used in inlay and Navajo jewelry. Turquoise has been produced in the Candelaria area very sporadically over the years. It was mined along with the silver and gold ore that made Candelaria mining famous at one point in Nevada's history. Mining operations were originally established in 1863 and began being worked heavily by the early 1870's. At that time Candelaria was one of the toughest camps in the West and a terrible place to live, with its high temperatures, high winds and no law enforcement.

With the areas low production of turquoise, Candelaria became known more for its fine variscite which is still available. Over the last few years Candelaria turquoise has been seen again in today's turquoise market. Along with a bright blue material a beautiful dark blue turquoise with red spider web has appeared from older collections and has now been cut and is appearing in fine jewelry. Candelaria is again having its day, with beautiful spider webbed variscite and a wonderful dark blue red webbed turquoise.

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CARICO LAKE
The Carico Lake mine is in Lander County, Nevada. The name comes from its location a few miles west of the dried up Carico Lake bed. Turquoise coming from the mine ranges from light green to a medium blue with a matrix of mostly limonite. Turquoise from this district has earlier been sold as Aurora and Stone Cabin turquoise. These mines had been run by August Stenich and later by J.W. Edgar, both legends in Nevada turquoise mining. Although today the Carico Lake mine is one of the larger producing mines in Nevada, high-grade turquoise from this mine is still fairly uncommon.

Carico Lake is now famous for its bright greens known as "faustite." This material with its high zinc content is a bright apple green color sometimes with golden webbing and has been highly valued because of its beauty when set in gold. Carico Lake turquoise has also become known for its rare and beautiful "fossil" turquoise clams. Clam fossils in the dried up lakebed were dissolved away and the cavities left were filled with turquoise deposits in the shape of the clams, leaving what has been called Carico Lake "fossil" calms.