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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 diamond 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 goldwork. 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!”

Golden Hill Turquoise:

Golden Hill Turquoise is found in Kazakhstan and is also known as Kazakhstan turquoise. This rare and beautiful gem is found in the deposit in the Altyn-Tyube mine in Kazakhstan.

It has been said that the Golden Hills mine is known for the production of large quantities of dioptase, which is known to be a type of gem that is quite similar to turquoise when it comes to color and strength. Back in 2013, the said turquoise deposit was discovered.

In Kazakhstan and in the Golden Hills mine, to be specific, dioptase and other gems are way more common than turquoise. According to research, Golden Hill is one of the most ‘chemically pure’ turquoise that is found in the market. It is also noted that its color is one of the most vibrant ones in the world, while its consistency is commendable for its durability. 

To this date, Golden Hill turquoise’s popularity has increased, especially among Southwestern jewelry artists. A bunch of artists across the world have been wanting to have a piece of this beautiful gemstone. 

Its unique colors and being super rare truly do make Golden Hill one of the most sought-after turquoise gems in the world. The contrast between the baby blue color with its dark web-like matrix gives it an amazing depth, which is why most turquoise enthusiasts would love to have this in their collection. 

While being one of the most coveted turquoise gems out there, it is also well noted that this beauty is only mined during the winter while it is freezing, cold, and snowing. Research says that they can’t mine during the summer times because of the flooding that takes place in the said area due to the conditions there as well.

Having said that, it is not easy to get it due to factors that involve the environment and its location. With its popularity, demand in the market, and rarity, it is not at all surprising that its price point is pretty high up there in the industry.