The Pilot Mountain turquoise mine, also known as the Montezuma or Troy springs, is at the southern end of the Pilot Mountains in Mineral county, Nevada and was discovered in 1905 by William Miller of Tonopah. A hard turquoise with colors ranging from a bright blue, to a dark blue with a greenish cast, to very dark blue. Strong dark brown limonite mottled patterns are associated with this material. Pilot Mountain, though thin veined, is a very beautiful gem turquoise.
Pilot Mountain turquoise is made up of a group of mines at the southern end of the Pilot Mountains in Mineral County, Nevada a short distance outside of Tonopah. The two most well known mines being the Moqui-Aztec or S. Simmons and the Montezuma or Troy Springs mine. The Montezuma is still being worked two or three times a year and produces a hard thin veined turquoise with colors ranging from a bright blue to dark blue, along with a dark blue with a greenish cast. Light to dark brown limonite mottled patterns are associated with this material.
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