Stone of the Month: 

September 2021 

“Green Pine Stone”

This turquoise nugget originated in Shiyan City, Hubei Province, China. This mineral has a long history in China as a decorative item, especially in jewelry, and less so as a viewing stone. Nonetheless, it has become one of China's more colorful viewing stones due to its distinctive blue or bluish-green color. This type of Chinese stone is known as mei-shi (美石) or beautiful stone. The same Chinese characters are used for the Japanese word biseki only they are pronounced differently. 

Some of the largest and finest examples of turquoise, a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminum, are found in this eastern province. This exceptional piece was purchased at the 2001 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show and is 20 cm high, 14 cm wide, and 9 cm deep. It is in the collection of Les Allen.