Description
This is a rare and beautiful necklace featuring five center beads of Carico Lake turquoise and Australian variscite. Carico is a rare turquoise mined in Nevada that comes in a variety of colors including shades of green that are found nowhere else in the world. The five center beads (73.35 ct total) range from darker green to pistachio nut green and all three exhibit “water web” pattern and spiderwebbing of matrix or host rock in which the turquoise is formed. The center bead itself is really special given its large overall size (28.9 ct) color and patterns. Please see close up photos which show both sides of this bead. The four accent stones in this piece have really nice color as well. One of the side stones even has some light blue in it which is extremely rare. If you’re considering the purchase of this necklace, you probably know the value of Carico Lake turquoise. If you could find a piece like the center bead in this strand it would cost you between $70-$100/ct alone.
The other beads in this strand are pale green Australian variscite (194.7 ct) which compliment the Carico lake really well. Without getting too deep in the weeds, variscite is essentially turquoise without trace amounts of copper that give turquoise its blue color. I’ve been buying this particular material for years and it can be found in a variety of colors and matrix patterns. I specifically selected this material for its color as it picks up many of the same hues found in the Carico lake green.
Carico Lake rough material is not being sold anymore. I purchased these pieces nearly 20 years ago. With its scarcity it would be extremely expensive to produce a necklace that was made entirely of Carico beads which is why I matched these with the Australian variscite. One last note on Carico Lake; I have seen all types of material being marketed as Carico Lake turquoise from dyed howlite, dyed turquoise and even variscite. When you buy from ARJ you can count on getting what you pay for. All of the material used to make this necklace was purchased from the mine’s owners and cut by me to make the item.
In addition to the stone beads, I have included six sterling silver Native American “star” beads and 18 smaller (8mm) corrugated beads. The hammered silver S-clasp is larger and easy to manipulate. Overall, there are approx. 22 grams of .925 sterling silver included in this piece.
The largest center bead is 17.5 mm wide by approx. 15 mm in thickness. Please see photos with the older U.S. dime for size/scale or the photo of the necklace on the display “neck”.
The entire necklace weighs approx. 75 grams or 2.5 oz and while it has a rich and substantial feel it is not too heavy to be worn often or for extended periods of time.
The necklace is strung on high-quality high-strength coated wire and each side of the necklace is double-crimped for security and durability.
Learn more about Carico Lake Turquoise and Chrysoprase at these links.
