LOCALLY SOURCED PIKES PEAK JADE AMAZONITE
Explore the existence of our locally-sourced Pikes Peak Jade Amazonite in one of the most geologically significant locations in North America! Amazonite gemtone is also referred to as "Pikes Peak Jade" because of its resemblance to jade and prevalence to be found in the Pikes Peak area. Amazonite is usually pale green, but can sometimes be blue-green, turquoise or yellow-green and can also have white or brown streaks. If you find a piece of Amazonite brown streaks of Smoky Quartz it is very likely that this Amazonite came from the Pikes Peak area. Here in the Pikes Peak Region our company, True Nature, was founded and we feel fortunate to be able to enjoy the splendor of The Pikes Peak Mountain from our work studio each day. We love that we are able to be intimately involved in curating some of the locally sourced gemstones that are commonly found right here in our own backyard in the Colorado Rocky Mountains!
The mineral-rich grounds of the USA don't come much more renowned than in the fascinating western state of Colorado, and specifically, the Pikes Peak Region. Its unique, rocky landscape makes for incredible holiday destinations for gem collectors and jewelery enthusiasts - not to mention the unforgettable field trips for American schoolchildren. It is known that some of the finest gemstones of the world have come out of the abounding mines of the varied state.
The Pikes Peak region in the middle of Colorado, slightly to the west of Colorado Springs, is a world-famous site for the mining and collecting of gemstones - it is perhaps most famous for its striking combination of Amazonite and Smoky Quartz, which can be found in great quantities across the region.
The radiant blue-green of Amazonite has mesmerized gem collectors for hundreds of years in the Pikes Peak region and beyond. Both Amazonite and Smoky Quartz often form together in the granite in this location to create a beautiful contrast that is globally regarded as highly desirable and, therefore, very valuable.
Indigenous Americans from the Ute and Cheyenne Tribes who lived in this region are known to have mined Amazonite to form jewelry to trade, which is a tradition that was unwittingly mirrored across globe in far-flung countries like Russia, Madagascar and China. Amazonite was also highly prized in pre-Colombian Central and South America and Brazil, but its fame in North America most certainly came from the mines of what is now known as the Pikes Peak region in the southern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. The Photo below is an Amazonite Mala Necklace created by the jewelry artists from True Nature Studio in the Pikes Peak Region.
PIKES PEAK
The slopes of Pikes Peak itself are fantastic sources for the mining of this gorgeous gemstone; the primary hiking route, namely Barr Trail, has deposits of Amazonite and Smoky Quartz alongside it. There are great quantities of these stones to be found in a valleyed area by the name of Glenn Cove, which is located at 11,000 feet on the mountain's north face. The entire region around the Peak is famous for its high-quality gemstones, which is exactly why collectors have frequented it for many years.
CRYSTAL PEAK
Another geologically important valley in the region can be found on Cameron Cone to the southeast of Pikes Peak. Crystal Peak, as it is most commonly known, contains the same gemstones in different quantities, but is perhaps most famous for its Smoky Quartz and Topaz deposits. Its Amazonite is quite pale in comparison to that of the stones found on Pikes Peak, but this makes it quite distinctively Coloradan when formed alongside its crystal counterparts - each combination is completely unique.
TARRYALL MOUNTAINS
Amazonite is in plentiful supply in the granite rock of the Tarryall Mountains, too, but is also typically paler than in other areas around the Peaks Pike region. This locality is heavily peppered with Smoky Quartz and Topaz gemstones, much like Crystal Park, so it presents many an opportunity for gemstone collectors to combine the unique Amazonite with strikingly brilliant Smoky Quartz like almost no other place on the planet.
WHERE ELSE IS AMAZONITE SOURCED?
As well as Colorado's plentiful supply of what is otherwise a relatively rare mineral, there are many places around the world that can lay claim to some of the finest Amazonite to have graced handmade, artisan jewelry.
The blue-green feldspar can be and has been found in the likes of Canada, Libya, Australia and Namibia, so it has had an effect on multiple societies for thousands of years. Fascinatingly, it has left similarly mystical marks on the mindsets of people throughout those centuries and has long been known as the 'Stone of Hope' to many of those who wear it. Amazonite gemstones are said to have tremendous healing abilities. Similar to jade, amazonite is associated with money, luck and overall success! It's known as the "gambler's stone," encouraging good luck and fortune!
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