Number 8 Turquoise — Nevada's Golden Spiderweb

There are turquoise collectors who have spent years — in some cases decades — building a collection without ever owning a piece of Number 8 turquoise. Not because they don't want it, but because the genuinely fine material is that hard to find. The mine is exhausted. The supply is fixed. And the stones that remain in circulation represent a category of American geological heritage that simply cannot be replaced.

We have carried Number 8 turquoise at Turquoise Mustang since long before it became as celebrated as it is today. Here is what we know about why it matters.

The Mine That Is No Longer There

The Number 8 Mine sits in Elko County, Nevada, in the Carlin Mining District. The claim designation — Number 8 — is simply the number of the mining claim, as unglamorous as the stone itself is spectacular. The deposit was discovered in the early twentieth century and mined most actively between the 1920s and the 1970s. The finest material — deeply saturated blue-green with rich golden-orange spiderweb matrix — came primarily from the peak production years of the 1950s through 1970s.

The mine is considered effectively exhausted of high-grade material. This is not a claim being held speculatively or a deposit awaiting better economics. The accessible high-grade turquoise-bearing veins have been recovered. New material does not exist.

The Spiderweb That Defines the Stone

Number 8 turquoise is defined by its matrix: golden-to-orange-brown webbing that spreads across the face of the stone in fine, intricate patterns. This matrix is iron oxide — limonite and goethite — deposited in the micro-fractures of the turquoise during formation. The color of the matrix ranges from pale gold to deep burnt orange depending on the specific iron minerals present and their degree of oxidation.

100ct+ Number 8 Turquoise Cuff by Michael Calditto — over 100 carats of golden spiderweb Number 8, one of the largest natural specimens we have offered.

The finest examples show dense, even webbing that covers the stone uniformly. The ideal Number 8 has matrix that is neither too sparse — leaving large areas of plain turquoise — nor so heavy that it overwhelms the blue-green body color. The balance between the vivid turquoise and the warm golden web is what makes the best specimens so compelling.

What Navajo Silversmiths Do With It

Number 8 has been a prestige stone in Navajo silversmithing since the mid-twentieth century. Its dramatic matrix makes it well suited to settings that frame rather than compete — heavy bezels, stampwork surrounds, overlay techniques that direct the eye to the stone. The finest Number 8 pieces are set by artists who understand that the stone is the subject and the silver is the support.

Andy Cadman's nine-row stampwork and repousse cuff centered on a large Number 8 oval — currently in our collection — is one of the most technically ambitious pieces we carry. Nine individual rows of hand-applied stampwork surround a specimen-grade #8 stone in a setting that equals the stone's complexity with equivalent silverwork complexity.

Tufa Cast #8 Turquoise Cuff by Robert Delgarito — a large oval Number 8 specimen in a tufa cast sterling silver setting with stampwork detail.

How to Evaluate Number 8 Turquoise

Matrix density and color. The finest Number 8 has dense, evenly distributed golden-to-orange matrix. Sparse, pale, or irregular matrix indicates lower-grade material. Deep orange-gold matrix on saturated blue-green turquoise is the pinnacle.

Natural stone provenance. With the mine exhausted, any Number 8 offered as natural and untreated should come with credible provenance. At Turquoise Mustang, natural stone designation comes directly from the artists who sourced and set the material.

Stone size. Large, high-quality Number 8 cabochons are exceptionally rare. A stone over 50 carats of fine-grade natural Number 8 is a significant find. Michael Calditto's 100+ carat cuff in our collection is an example of material that simply does not appear often.

Artist attribution. Number 8 set by a named, hallmarked Navajo silversmith carries substantially more value than the same stone in an unmarked setting.

Number 8 Available Now

• Extra Wide #8 Turquoise Cuff — Andy Cadman, 9-Row Stampwork
• 100ct+ Number 8 Cuff — Michael Calditto
• Tufa Cast #8 Cuff — Robert Delgarito
• 5-Stone #8 Rope Bezel Cuff — Verdy Jake

Read the full guide: Number 8 Turquoise — Nevada's Golden Spiderweb. Browse the Turquoise Collection.