# Travel >> Destinations >> North America

How to Dig Your Own Turquoise in Utah

Utah is a plentiful supplier of pure, natural turquoise. Turquoise is a blueish-green mineral composed of copper and aluminum. Turquoise is found in mines and quarries, which are open-pit mines in which individuals can dig for turquoise and other stones. Kennecot turquoise, which is a rare light blue-green stone, is found in Utah's Kennecot Copper Mine, and Varascite, another rare form of turquoise with inclusions of Crandelite and Wardite, is found in the mines of Fairfield, Utah. People can dig for turquoise either by going to a professional quarry, such as U-DIG Fossils, just west of Delta, Utah, or quarry for turquoise independently.

Gloves (Gardening gloves)
Sturdy shoes (Hiking shoes)
Light jacket
Safety glasses or goggles
Hardhat
Water
Hammer
Shovel
Pick-axe
Bucket
Turquoise fact-book

Instructions

- 1
  Put on sturdy gloves, hiking shoes, safety goggles and hardhat.
- 2
  Drive to one of the many Utah quarry sites to dig for turquoise: Kennecot Bingham Canyon Mine, Fairfield Mine, or the desert of west of Delta, Utah, near Antelope Springs. Make sure it is a public quarry that permits public use and is not under the jurisdiction of the state or federal park services.
- 3
  Take the hammer and strike a layered rock multiple times. Remove rock dust or other extra rocks with the shovel.
- 4
  Examine the rocks for any signs of turquoise.
- 5
  Pick at the rock with a small pick-axe to remove the rock's layers. If turquoise is found, use the pick-axe to remove the outer layers and extract the turquoise rock.
- 6
  Put all turquoise found in a bucket.
- 7
  Identify the rocks found to make sure they are turquoise by using a turquoise rock identification book. Turquoise should have a vibrant color, ranging from sky blue to gray-green. Many turquoise stones also have matrixes, which are veins or blotches.