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Sleeping beauty turquoise can be found in the southwestern part of the United States in Arizona. The highly sought after stone has made a tremendous impact on the history of turquoise over the years. The stone got its name because the mountain where it is mined resembles a sleeping woman laying on her back with arms crossed. Sleeping Beauty Turquoise is revered and highly sought after due to its pure sky blue color which shows very little to no veining or webbing. It is still being collected from the Sleeping Beauty Mine in Globe, Arizona where a small operation of workers mines, processes and ships the stones. The famous Sleeping Beauty Turquoise was actually discovered by accident. The mine was opened to pull copper and gold and it wasn’t until relatively recently that the first turquoise stones were discovered. Even in rough form, the stones are vibrant and bright, even more blue than the bright Southwestern sky overhead. It is one of the most prized forms of turquoise for jewelry and adornment and is often stable enough to be polished and used for turquoise jewelry without any treatment or stabilization. It’s pure color and natural strength make Sleeping Beauty Turquoise characteristics a favorite for jewelry makers and artists around the world.

Today, retailers, wholesalers and the public visit the mine to get their hands on the beautiful stone, and if turquoise history is any indication, Sleeping Beauty Turquoise won’t be around forever. The current turquoise mining in Arizona produces enough stones to meet commercial demand. Many of the most famous Southwestern turquoise mines have depleted their supply and ceased operation. The history of turquoise is ever changing as mines open, close and new types of turquoise are discovered. To this day, however, there has never been a stone that replicates the stunning beauty of Sleeping Beauty Turquoise. It is truly a gem of the Southwestern United States. Generally, approximately 4% of Sleeping Beauty turquoise is hard enough to use as natural, with most of the remaining turquoise being enhanced.An “F” diamond is the last quality in the colorless range, with an unnoticeable color tint that affect the diamond’s sparkle. A “VS” designation refers to “Very Small” inclusions in a diamond.

Rodney Allison, well known for jewelry design, has 45 years of experience in the jewelry industry. He has been a “Personal Jeweler” not only in the Lubbock area, but also worldwide. He creates custom pieces in gold and silver, and specializes in diamonds settings and bridal pieces. Rodney states, “It has been 45 years that I’ve done silversmithing working with turquoise.” He now mixes sterling with gold and uses diamonds and ancient nummis coins with these mediums. The ancient coins range from 50 AD to 400 BC and tell us so much about the past.

Rodney was born in Grants, NM, and grew up in Roswell. At 10 years old he began tumbling rocks and assembling jewelry. In High School, he took jewelry making classes learning about wax carving, casting in sterling, stone cutting and polishing, and hand making sterling jewelry. After graduating, Rodney attended the Gemological Institute of America in CA for Gemology and Diamondology. Later he taught himself gold-work. In 1983, Rodney moved to Lubbock to attend Texas Tech University. 

Throughout Rodney’s career, he has worked with numerous Directors of Mary Kay Cosmetics, making their award winning jewelry and licensed by Mary Kay to create their corporate logo jewelry for 16 years. In 2001, he sold his jewelry store and began to do freelancing to focus on designing and making jewelry. 

Rodney says that his roots run deep in Ruidoso. His great-great grandparents traveled by covered wagon to a homestead outside of Ruidoso Downs. His parents were born in the Ruidoso area. He adds, “While I’ve lived in Texas all of my adult life, my heart always leads me back to New Mexico!”