Stone hammers found in the Mohave County, northwest of Kingman, AZ prove that Kingman turquoise was first mined by Native Americans as early as 600 a.d. Today the mine is owned and operated by Colbaugh Processing.Chuck Colbaugh found the artifacts in May of 1962, and Mr. Colbaugh’s grandson, Marty Colbaugh, operates the mine today. This long time mining family also owns Ithaca Peak Turquoise mine, and the Turquoise Mountain mine.Kingman turquoise sets an industry standard for blue matrix turquoise. The mine became famous for its nuggets, which few mines produce.Today, the Kingman turquoise is highly prized and sought after by collectors everywhere, and it's one of the more easily recognized American Turquoises.
