ABOUT LARRY COOLEY TURQUOISE:

The turquoise that this is made with came from the late "Larry Cooley's" private collection. Mr. Cooley was one of the most reputably known turquoise vendors in the industry, who artists would go to when they wanted the highest quality turquoise for their own designs.. Since he was very knowledgeable, he knew what separated the junk from the premium grades & was committed to offering only the finest that each mine produced. He was one who wouldn't dare offer turquoise to someone, that he himself, wouldn't want.

The turquoise he collected & sold, were qualities that only the finest of the finest "Turquoise Connoisseur's" would buy..He had a vast collection of nothing BUT premium turquoise that were all natural,since his rocks were mined long before they started treating turquoise & had the best that each mine produced.

So these cuts are an excellent grade of natural turquoise, which is getting more & more difficult to find anymore, unless you're willing to pay top dollar per carat. That is if you can find any, since much has gone into private collectors hands & have become very valuable... After Larry's passing, everyone wanted dibs on his whole collection, but because of Federico's long time connection with Larry & Larry's family, he was fortunate to purchase this 'once in a lifetime' limited & very pricy collection(This is reflected in price) So once these stones are used up, they're gone!

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MORENCI TURQUOISE:
Today it is hard to find good Morenci which is known for it's intense 'true blues' & it's fingerprint pyrite matrix..The mine was closed decades ago & was once the largest copper mine in Arizona..What is found to be so rare in this particular necklace, is not only the quartz found in the cuts,but the copper colored matrix that has a shimmery metallic look.. It's both, surprising & not surprising that the copper from the mine shows through.So all of the brown-ish colors you see in most of the stones, is actually copper matrix & besides the color & their size, it's this matrix that really makes this a rare & unusual piece that leans toward being more valuable!!

If you were to purchase the turquoise alone in todays market,when you base the cuts on their HUGE size,their premium quality & the rarity of each cut,this necklace would probably cost more than my asking price! And then you put the time it took to make,add the cost of the sterling,along with the addition of Federico's name,it only adds to it's value. There are NUMEROUS carats in this necklace & each would cost an arm & leg (So to speak) per carat weight,when you see the size of each! (A carat by the way,isn't much!!) 
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THE NECKLACE:
Made for the turquoise connoisseur who appreciates 'finer turquoise', this is designed in a Butterfly theme where the Butterfly has a somewhat abstract look.The wings are made up of unusual cuts that have somewhat of a pyramid shape & the abdomen is made with a huge marquise cut. 

It's designed with 9 stones per side that graduate in size & even though they get smaller toward the closure,these ending stones are still quite large! The stones were hand picked for their chunky size,color & all the coppery matrix character that each have.The stones sit in a simple bezel setting so all the attention & focus is placed directly on the stones.

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A NOTE:

**Anything with Larry's turquoise comes with a higher price tag,due to the quality & rarity*** If you're like many of us who are big fan's of Cooley's turquoise, then please check out my other listings by clicking on "Larry's" name in various categories.