LANDER BLUE
The Lander Blue turquoise mine in Lander County, Nevada is located between Battle Mountain and Tenabo. Found in 1973 it produced some of the most beautiful spider-webbed turquoise ever discovered. Today it is considered the most valuable turquoise known. Not surprisingly as early as 1975 it had been stated that Lander Blue “has become some of the most valued turquoise today.”

Like a number of the other high-grade strikes, Lander Blue was a very rich pocket discovery, and has been referred to as a “hat mine,” a term used to described small floats of turquoise because they could be “covered with a hat.” There were no extensive zones or long veins. These pockets are not uncommon in nature and once mined out they are gone forever. Lander Blue is almost entirely spider-webbed turquoise with colors from medium to deep blue and a black contrasting matrix. Although some other grades were found only 104 pounds of the beautiful spider-web turquoise was mined.

Like all classic turquoise this one comes with a classic story. Rita Hapgood, a blackjack dealer in Battle Mountain, had stated that while picnicking in the Indian Creek area she discovered this deposit of high-grade turquoise. According to two of the later mine owners, Rita had also started a story at the same time of how she had found the mine using a Ouija (weegee) board. But she had a hard time finding believers. The truth does seem to be that while she was walking with her father on property that bordered the Lander Ranch the rare turquoise deposit was seen. She went on to claim the site as the Mary Louise Lode Mining Claim, the name Mary Louise belonging to her mother. The claim was then sold in 1974 to Marvin Syme, Henry Dorian and Robert Johnson for the sum of $10,000.00 and renamed the Lander Blue Turquoise Corporation.

Marvin Syme later ended up owning a number of fine turquoise mines in Nevada. At present, Syme is living with his wife, in Idaho. To this day still traveling to Battle Mountain and willing to sell turquoise from his collection. The Lander Blue mine later became part of Dowell Ward’s large string of mines (now belonging to Mrs. Ward) and in the spring of 2006 will again be opened in the hopes of finding a few more pieces of this fine turquoise.

Today, because of its rarity and value, there seems to be more Lander Blue for sale than was ever mined. With very little provenance available when buying beautiful Lander Blue, this material has truly become a case of ”Buyer Beware.”

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LONE MOUNTAIN
The Lone Mountain turquoise mine is located in Esmeralda County, Nevada, not far from Tonopah. It has been one of the great producers of Nevada turquoise. The color ranges from a beautiful clear blue to a dark blue spider web. Lone Mountain has always been noted for holding its color. To this day jewelry can be found that was made in the 1930’s or 1940’s with Lone Mountain turquoise just as blue as when it was made.

The mine was claimed by Lee Hand in 1920 first as the Blue Jay Mining Lode and later, after seeing that so many mines had been named Blue Jay, Hand changed the mine’s name to Lone Mountain. In 1927 at a depth of about 40 feet Bert Kopenhaver, who had leased the mine from Hand, found the beautiful spider web turquoise material that made Lone Mountain one of the top mines in the Southwest. Today, Lone Mountain’s beautiful blue spider web still gives Lander Blue, the most valuable turquoise in the world, a run for its money. The mine has continued to change hands over the years and even now a small amount of good material is being produced.

Another rare occurrence has been the "fossil turquoise" found in this mine. Plant fossils and sometimes seashells that have dissolved away leaving only the cavities were filled with turquoise deposits. Turquoise nuggets in moss agate have also been found.