Yes, I make a few pieces from time to time wink Some of the items in the box I made as far back as the 1980's, and some just last week. The mounts are made from silver wire, rod and sheet. Thunderbird Jewelry Supply is a great source for silver. I buy the rough turquoise direct from the mines and cut and polish the stones. The turquoise is from mines such as Kingman, Sleeping Beauty, Blue Gem, and Santa Rita. The Kingman mine has been closed for awhile but you can still find rough material occasionally.

The turquoise market is almost as bad as buying WW2 collectibles. I did a bit of research to find out why similar rings or bracelets varied so much in price. You can look at several almost identical rings and the price can range from $50 to $250. The expensive ring is handmade with good quality turquoise. But lots of the turquoise is reconstituted, dyed or stabilized. You also find stones made of ground turquoise and epoxy or dyed howlite. Some dealers are even selling natural howlite (it's white with a black matrix) as "Mexican Turquoise". And there are some very nice looking plastic turquoise coming from Asia. And the other side of the market is to take a hand made piece in silver, make a mold, and make cast copies. Some are done in silver, some in nickle with a silver plate, and some in plated white metal.

It's a fun hobby that doesn't require much in the way of tools, and my wife, daughter, and sisters love it wink

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Last edited by Vern; 04/29/2020 03:49 AM.

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