Sleeping Beauty turquoise is one of the most recognizable varieties in the world, often synonymous with the term “turquoise.” Its vibrant sky-blue hue and minimal matrix have contributed to its global fame, rivaling even the highly sought-after robin’s egg blue Persian turquoise. This gemstone typically forms in nuggets featuring a soft white matrix, occasionally containing small amounts of quartz or pyrite. Over time, as demand shifted towards stones with more matrix, some sellers began artificially darkening the matrix using shoe polish and other methods to enhance contrast.
### Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Cabs
Located in Globe, Arizona, the Sleeping Beauty turquoise mine is renowned as a major producer of turquoise, yielding everything from low-grade white chalk to high-quality, sky-blue stones prized in European markets that favor a matrix-free appearance. Its consistent color, affordability, and high availability have made it a favorite among Native American artisans, particularly from the Zuni Pueblo.
The mine gets its name from the nearby mountain range, which is said to resemble a sleeping woman with crossed arms when viewed from a distance.
Due to rising government regulations and mining costs, the mine closed in 2012, leading to a significant increase in the price of Sleeping Beauty turquoise since then.
