The Blue Diamond mine, located in central Nevada, opened in the late 1950’s and was mined up to 1980. The stones that this mine produces, which are usually large pieces in plate form, looks a great deal like Stormy Mountain turquoise because of its black smokey matrix. This stone features dark smoky matrix surrounded by a brilliant blue. The characteristic black chert is ever-present. Colors can vary to a mixture of blue and green.
The mine is buried under thousands of tons of rock. One miner continues to dig on a small scale. Largest production was in the 70’s; Joe Morris used a bulldozer to uncover small and large plate formations. Some pieces were a foot long and two inches thick. Paul Sugar is now the new owner and is currently mining Blue Diamond.
