Number 8 turquoise from Nevada is among the most coveted and collectible of all American turquoise, famous for its dramatic golden-brown to black spiderweb matrix over blue-green stone. The original mine is closed, so genuine Number 8 is rare and highly prized.
The Number 8 mine in Eureka County, Nevada, produced turquoise from the early twentieth century until the deposit was exhausted and the area was absorbed into gold-mining operations in the 1970s. In its day it yielded some of the most distinctive spiderweb turquoise ever found.
Because no new Number 8 has been mined for decades, existing stones — and the vintage Native American pieces set with them — are considered important collector's items, and high-grade spiderweb cabochons can be extraordinarily valuable.
Number 8's bold, high-contrast webbing made it a showpiece stone, set as the centerpiece of important Navajo and Zuni pieces where the matrix itself is the design. Old pawn and vintage jewelry featuring Number 8 is sought by collectors worldwide.
As turquoise, it shares the sky stone's protective significance, with the added weight of scarcity and provenance.
Number 8 is best known for its matrix: fine to chunky webbing in golden brown, amber, and black, set against blue to blue-green stone. That dramatic, well-defined spiderweb — rather than color alone — is its signature and the chief driver of its value.
Quality is judged by the tightness and contrast of the web and by the hardness of the stone; the finest Number 8 is natural and untreated.
Given its rarity, care for Number 8 turquoise meticulously. Keep it dry and away from perfume, lotion, sunscreen, and chemicals, remove it before any water activity, and store it on its own. Clean only with a soft, dry cloth.
Mined from a single claim in Lander County, Nevada, Number 8 turquoise is distinguished by its striking golden-brown spider-web matrix against sky-blue to blue-green body color. With the mine closed since 1976, Number 8 commands premium collector prices and remains one of the most recognizable and sought-after American turquoise varieties in the market today.
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From its discovery in the copper-rich hills near Globe, Arizona in the 1920s to the mine's permanent closure in 2012, Sleeping Beauty turquoise has undergone a transformation from abundant commercial stone to one of the most coveted minerals in the gemological world, with prices increasing 300-400% since the final extraction.
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