Gorgeous! RARE! Hard to find. 3 Stone WHITE BUFFALO Ring by Navajo Silversmith Jason Livingston. Size 9
Approximately 4 cm long. 2 cm wide.
What is WHITE BUFFALO?
This semi-precious black and white stone is found frequently in Native American jewelry. It was first discovered in the Dry Creek Turquoise Mine in Tonopah, Nevada by the Otteson family in 1993. (Watch “Turquoise Fever Show” on streaming to learn more about the Otteson family.)
This white and black stone was found among turquoise veins and it was assume to be turquoise. However, by definition turquoise contains copper (it is a copper aluminium phosphate), which is what gives the characteristic blue color. Presence of more iron (and some say aluminum) will shift the color towards green. The Otteson’s White Buffalo classification is magnesite and alumite – so it is not technically turquoise.
The name derives from the Native American belief that white buffaloes are pure and rare. Lacking the defining blue and teal colors of classic turquoise, the black spider webbing and chert patterns encased in this pure white stone, made it as rare as white buffaloes.
After the Otteson’s decided to call this white stone “‘White Buffalo”, and once introduced into the gemstone market, the white buffalo was a hit to jewelry artists. According to sources, even before the results of the material’s testing have not been released yet, white buffalo got so popular and it has already stuck among buyers and sellers as White Buffalo, White Buffalo Turquoise, and sometimes even White Turquoise. Technically it is Dolomite & grows next to Magnesium that bleaches it white.
-WaterDancer.com