The areas they search are called The Black Hills because there appears to be black rock covering the ground, which I assume is the dark char that is found in the White Buffalo stone. The family splits up, some taking four-wheelers and others horses, searching for White Buffalo. Most of the remainder of the episode shows them hunting for this stone. They explained that the stone only comes from one area of the world and they haven’t mined it for 8 years, primarily because they were having difficulty finding the material. The moment when Yasu told the Otteson family that he needed White Buffalo was quite a dramatic point in the episode. Yasu told the Otteson's that he wanted White Buffalo because it worked with certain clothing that the blue turquoise just doesn’t. The white and black colors are versatile in that they can go with many different outfits. That being said, White Buffalo jewelry is very popular and you see it being used more and more in Native American jewelry. Even today you still see this called White Buffalo Turquoise even though it is it's own original material. Several months later when test results revealed that was not actually turquoise, the name still stuck. When it was first discovered, the miners believed it was a white form of turquoise and promoted it as such. If you don’t know, White Buffalo is a white stone with black “char”. He needs White Buffalo for a different look. He explains that he has expanded his jewelry into department stores where typical blue turquoise jewelry may not go with all clothing. When Yasu arrives, he tells the Otteson's that he has not come just for their quality turquoise stones. I think it is really neat that this American art form has become so popular overseas and is really a testament to the talent and quality of the Native American jewelry artists. American turquoise is the most sought after in the world so it’s no surprise that some of these designers come to the United States to pick out their own stones. Turquoise jewelry is phenomenally popular in Japan, so much so that many of the top Native American jewelry artists have moved to Japan to open their own stores. The fact that a Japanese designer is one of the Otteson’s best customers is not a surprise. Obviously, the Otteson family wants to please him with their selection. Yasu comes to the United States looking for the highest-quality turquoise to use in his designer jewelry.
They explain that he comes every few years and that his visit can turn into a $200,000 day for the Otteson's. The plot of this first episode involves one of the Otteson’s best customers, Yasutomo Kodera, coming all the way from Japan to purchase turquoise stones. It is quite amazing to watch this mining operation unfold. Fortunately, no one was hurt and they were able to continue working. They did show one particular accident with one of their large excavators. This work is done in remote areas sometimes hours away from the nearest hospital and far out of cell phone service. Besides the dynamite, some of the Otteson's will use heavy excavation machinery while others break apart boulders with sledgehammers or pickaxes. It’s remarkable how dangerous this operation is. After an explosion, they search through the crater for turquoise pieces or veins that they can further excavate. They must carefully gauge the size and place of the explosions in order to not destroy the precious material they are hunting for. The show explains that these miners use dynamite to blow open areas where they believe veins of turquoise exist. Suddenly one of these small mountains erupts in a tremendous slow-motion explosion.
The first few scenes show the vast emptiness of the Nevada desert with only hills, small mountains, and rock formations as far as the eye can see. The first episode of Turquoise Fever starts with a bang, literally. Finding the high-grade stones that Gary uses in his jewelry can be difficult but the Otteson's are always a reliable and trusted source. Turquoise Fever was especially interesting for us at Stagecoach because Gary gets a lot of his stones from the Otteson's and has met them on many different occasions. Royston Turquoise has a lovely variation between blue and green with a brown matrix. Their claims encompass many different mines, including one of our personal favorites, Royston Turquoise.
It follows the Otteson family in Tonopah, Nevada, who have owned a number of turquoise mines for three generations. For those of us who are obsessed with turquoise jewelry, a brand new show has debuted on the INSP channel called Turquoise Fever.
0 kommentar(er)
