King's Manassa turquoise mine is located east of Manassa, Colorado. It was mined for centuries by Indians and is thought to be the oldest turquoise mine in Colorado. It is the largest of many deposits in the area. I.P. King came upon the mine in 1890 while prospecting for gold. According to Bennett’s work on turquoise, "He thought the blue stain on the rocks was copper, but in 1900 it was identified as turquoise, and by 1908 ten claims were being worked nearby."
Since it’s rediscovery mining has been carried out by members of the King family intermittently with both blue and blue-green turquoise being found. Today King's Manassa turquoise is seen in an attractive green color with a beautiful golden matrix.
Copy © Copyright 2004 Nevada Gem. Used with Permission.