Historic New Mexico turquoise districts, researched from NM Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources and NM Geological Society guidebooks, USGS records, and USGS MRDS. Turquoise is a genuinely different mineral system from gold — a secondary mineral formed in the oxidized zone of copper-bearing rock — so this is a separate dataset, not a layer on the gold map.
5Confirmed districts
2Disputed / unconfirmed
Read before use: this is a research starting point compiled from published sources, not a survey, title report, or investment/legal advice. Two of the seven districts here (Guadalupe Mountains, Nogal) are included specifically because their turquoise significance is disputed or incidental, not confirmed — the write-up for each explains exactly why. All known NM turquoise deposits sit on patented/unpatented claims, state leaseholds, or private/tribal land; Cerrillos in particular is culturally significant Native American heritage ground, not a casual rockhounding spot.
Loading…
7 of 7 districts shown
Map key
Supergene oxidation zone (classic secondary turquoise)
Primary hydrothermal vein / fracture-fill
Reworked placer / residual nodules
Deposit type not documented
Select a district on the map or list to see the full write-up.