Damele turquoise is a variety of turquoise (CuAl₆(PO₄)₄(OH)₈·4H₂O) recovered from the Damele Ranch mine in Lander County, Nevada, USA. Regarded among the finer American turquoise varieties, it is distinguished by a characteristically bright blue to blue-green body colour and a matrix that ranges from dark brown to near-black, frequently forming bold, web-like or dendritic patterns across the stone. Limited production, relative hardness for a Nevada turquoise, and good colour stability have combined to make Damele material a consistent favourite among collectors, lapidaries, and Native American silversmiths.

Geological Setting and Mining History

Nevada hosts more turquoise-producing localities than any other state in the United States, and Lander County alone contains several historically significant mines. The Damele deposit occurs in altered volcanic host rock, where copper-bearing solutions percolated through silicified zones over geological time, depositing turquoise in seams, nodules, and fracture fillings. The host rock matrix — principally iron-stained rhyolite or similar volcanic material — is responsible for the dark, contrasting veining that characterises much Damele rough.

The mine is situated on private ranch land, a circumstance that has governed its intermittent and modest output throughout its operating history. Unlike large commercial Nevada operations such as Royston or Carico Lake, the Damele mine has never been worked on an industrial scale. Production has come in relatively small batches, tied to the availability of the land and the economics of small-scale turquoise recovery. This limited supply has reinforced the material's collectability and sustained premium pricing in the secondary market.

Physical and Optical Properties

Turquoise as a mineral species is an aluminium copper phosphate hydroxide, and its colour is governed by the ratio of copper to iron substitution within the crystal structure. Copper-dominant material tends toward sky blue or blue-green; iron substitution shifts the hue toward greener tones. Damele turquoise typically sits in the blue to blue-green range, with the most prized pieces showing a clean, saturated blue comparable to the best material from the Sleeping Beauty mine in Arizona, though Damele stones are generally distinguished by their more pronounced matrix.

• Colour: Bright blue to blue-green; occasionally greenish blue
• Lustre: Waxy to sub-vitreous
• Hardness (Mohs): Approximately 5–6, somewhat firmer than many Nevada turquoises, which contributes to its reputation for stability
• Specific gravity: Approximately 2.60–2.85, variable with porosity
• Refractive index: Approximately 1.61–1.65 (spot reading on polished surfaces)
• Matrix: Dark brown to black, often forming web or dendritic patterns; some specimens are clean (matrix-free)

The relative density and hardness of gem-quality Damele rough is considered good by Nevada standards, where many deposits yield softer, more porous material requiring treatment before use in jewellery. Even so, genuinely hard, untreated Damele turquoise of fine colour commands a significant premium over stabilised material from the same source.

Treatments and Stability

As with the great majority of American turquoise, a substantial proportion of Damele material entering the market has been stabilised — a process in which the porous stone is impregnated under vacuum with a colourless polymer resin (most commonly an epoxy or acrylic) to improve hardness, reduce porosity, and lock in colour. Stabilisation is an accepted and widely disclosed treatment in the turquoise trade. When properly performed and disclosed, it produces durable, wearable stones that retain the natural colour and matrix pattern of the original rough.

A smaller quantity of Damele material is of sufficient natural hardness and colour saturation to be cut and set without any treatment. Such natural or untreated Damele turquoise — sometimes described in the trade as "hard" or "gem-grade" — is considerably rarer and commands prices well above stabilised equivalents. Collectors and serious buyers should request explicit disclosure of treatment status and, for significant purchases, laboratory documentation.

Colour enhancement by dyeing or wax impregnation also occurs in the broader turquoise market, though reputable dealers distinguish these practices from standard stabilisation. Buyers should be alert to unusually vivid, uniform colour in stones presented as natural, and should seek gemological verification when in doubt.

Identification and Origin Determination

Routine gemological testing — refractive index, specific gravity, spectroscopic examination, and observation of matrix character — can confirm that a stone is turquoise and distinguish natural material from simulants such as howlite, magnesite, or dyed chalcedony. Distinguishing one American turquoise locality from another is a more demanding task. Trace-element analysis by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) has been applied to turquoise provenance research, and characteristic chemical signatures can, in favourable cases, support an origin determination. GIA and specialist laboratories such as Lotus Gemology have the analytical capability to undertake such work when origin determination is formally requested, though turquoise provenance remains one of the more challenging assignments in applied gemmology, given the overlap in trace-element profiles between some Nevada localities.

In practice, much Damele turquoise in the market is identified by provenance documentation from the mine operator or from established dealers with direct sourcing relationships, rather than by laboratory analysis alone. Collector-grade material with credible provenance paperwork commands a premium reflecting both the stone's quality and the confidence the documentation provides.

In the Trade and Among Collectors

Damele turquoise occupies a respected position within the hierarchy of American turquoise varieties. It is sought by Native American silversmiths — particularly those working in the Navajo, Zuni, and Santo Domingo traditions — who prize its colour and the visual interest of its matrix for use in channel inlay, bezel-set pendants, and multi-stone bracelets. The material also attracts dedicated turquoise collectors who focus on American locality stones, for whom documented Damele rough or finished cabochons represent a tangible piece of Nevada mining history.

Because production has never been abundant and the mine has experienced periods of inactivity, Damele turquoise circulates largely through specialist dealers, Native American jewellery shows, and auction markets rather than through mainstream wholesale channels. Prices for fine, natural (untreated) Damele cabochons in collector-grade colour and matrix can be substantially higher per carat than stabilised material, reflecting both scarcity and the sustained demand from a knowledgeable buyer base.

As with all American turquoise of repute, the market is not without misrepresentation: stones of uncertain or different origin are occasionally sold under the Damele name. Buyers acquiring material for significant sums are advised to purchase from dealers who can provide direct sourcing documentation or to commission independent gemological verification.

Further Reading

• GIA — Turquoise Description
• GIA Gems & Gemology — Turquoise Mines of the American Southwest
• AGTA — Turquoise