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ORVIL JAKE TURQUOISE, NEVADA

Blue Ridge / Orvil Jack Turquoise from Nevada

Orvil Jack discovered and developed the Blue Ridge Mine which consists of 9 mining claims, in the Bullion Mining district, in Lander County, Nevada. One of those mining claims is the Orvil Jack Mine.

Orvil and Bessie Jack in 1936
Some background history on Orvil and the mine: In 1956 Orvil & Bessie moved from Colorado to Nevada. They staked mining claims in Lander County, (Orvil somehow just chose the site) naming their mine "Blue Ridge." A small cabin (which still stands) was built on the claims, and the family lived at the mine for a few years. Orvil worked at a nearby gold mine, later moving from the turquoise mine to work as a mechanic at a ranch--mining turquoise in his spare time. The mine produced a number of different colors and types of turquoise but Orvil's personal favorite was a beautiful blue spiderweb turquoise in nugget and vein form (with a small amount with iron pyrites in the matrix).
In the 1970's Orvil retired from the ranch. With more time to mine, he was able to captalize somewhat on the turquoise boom of the 70's. During this period Orvil and his family generally mined blue nuggets and the beautiful blue spiderweb.
In the early to mid 1980's Orvil located a beautiful green turquoise, of which he only mined a small amount. To Orvil, turquoise was his "beautiful blue spiderweb" and he wasn't really interested in mining the green. So it is rather ironic that the green is what bears his name. That is true of many miners in the early days, they only considered the blue worth mining and tossed aside the green.
Turquoise produced from this mine has a large variety of colors & types: solid blue nuggets and vein, spiderweb nuggets and vein, bluish/green nuggets and vein, blue vein with a brown matrix, yellow and a brillent neon green. Even the green comes in different shades. The yellow-green turquoise is what is referred to as "Orvil Jack" to differentiate it from the blue turquoise that comes from this same mine. Nobody is sure how that began, it could have been as simple as a turquoise dealer forgetting the name "Blue Ridge" and calling the yellow by Orvil's name because he couldn't think of anything else, and the name stuck. Nevada is an incredibly-rich source of high-quality turquoise, nowhere on earth is found such a rich, beautiful yellow-green turquoise.
Orvil Jack is a "faustite" turquoise. Turquoise is a hydrous basic phosphate of copper and aluminum which is formed as water trickles through a host stone for about 30 million years, gradually leaving a deposit. This "water" can percolate up or down through the rock layers absorbing minerals from the rocks it is passing through. It is the other minerals that combine with it that create the different color shades. When Zinc replaces the aluminum in the molecules to the extent that the turquoise turns yellow-green, it is called "faustite." It's a hard material that stays together and takes a high polish. Orvil isn't ordinarily found with webbing, but with black "churt" matrix.
When asked if they find the different colors in the same pit, Grace answered "we find the geen and the blue apart from each other, it just depends on the mineral makeup of the stone. For instance, the blue spiderweb and the bright neon green are not found in the same pit while the green vein can run into a bluish color, in the same pit. The different colors of brown, yellow and green all come together. The green and yellow we have always found in a vein, not in nugget form. Years ago my father mined some green nuggets, but Jay & I have never found any."
Although turquoise must consist of copper, aluminum and phosphorus, other elements can replace various percentages of these and thereby change the molecular structure, which then changes the color. A great many variables can and do exist in turquoise and it can still be turquoise. That's one of the aspects of this stone that makes it so fascinating and fun to learn about. No one factor makes it more or less desirable, it's more a matter of personal taste. Some people are attracted to "the green" and some to "the blue," for some people (like Julia) the attraction to a specific color can change with the seasons and moods. ;-}
When Mr. Jack passed on in 1986, his daughter Grace Jack Wintle and her husband Jay took over the mining claims. With their sons Curtis 18, and Ryan 17 completing "the crew," they only work the mine for a week or so each summer. It is a labor of love and tradition, something that has been a part of the Jack Family for many years and a legacy they leave to us. If it wasn't for the ongoing efforts of the Wintle Family to keep this gemstone available and on the market, we wouldn't have this beautiful turquoise to enjoy. It is one of the most unusual turquoises to wear and does attract attention due to it's "zat" and beauty. It's not unusual to be stopped and asked "what IS that stone?"
Below are pictures of the actual Orvil Jack/Blue Ridge mine along with examples of this turquoise in various forms from rough material to finished. Orvil was a staunch believer in selling only natural, untreated stone and would never consider treating any of his turquoise. Fortunately for the rest of us, this tradition continues today assuring us that only Natural, rough turquoise comes from their mine.

Above are shots of the Orvil Jack Mine showing the wide open terrain and the pit where the turquoise is mined. A vein of bright yellow-green faustite inside the matrix rock. Since 1987 the Wintle's have mined only the green stone.

Turquoise in the rough. The top two images show Blue Ridge blue turquoise nuggets, the bottom images show two examples of Orvil Jack green turquoise. The specimen on the bottom-left is only usable as a specimen as it is too porous to be usable but is an excellent example of how the turquoise formed by "percolation."

Rare Blue Ridge Turquoise spiderweb specimens.

Cut cabochons of Blue Ridge and Orvil Jack Turquoise showing the wide variety of blues, browns and greens present in this turquoise.

Orvil Jack and Blue Ridge turquoise in "finished" form. Showing on top is a 5-Stone Orvil "specimen" bracelet shown on Julia's wrist, four bracelets made by Albert Jake and Andrew Cadman (both Navajo) with gem-grade Orvil Jack set with Carico Lake Turquoise in one bracelet and Orange Coral from the pacific in the other. Jay Wintle's bolo with Orvil Jack and Australian Crystal Opal, Lapis and Red Coral hand-fabricated by Don McCoy of Anza, California. A gorgeous hand-made blue and green turquoise bead necklace strung with Lapis and Coral and finished with gold findings by Lee Louden. An inlaid heart pendant by Benny & Valerie Aldrich. A large buffalo sculpture carved by Craig Bacarak, Arizona.

Jennie Vicente Zuni cluster link bracelet set with hand-cut lime-green Orvil Jack Turquoise and Purple Sugilite from South Africa. All of the jewelry shown is in private collections and not available for sale.
** Special thanks to Grace Jack Wintle for her cooperation in sharing pictures and her family history with all of us for this special topic.

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