Crushed White Buffalo Stone

Crushed White Buffalo Stone (dolomite) from Nevada. 

Hand-crushed from my saw scraps so nothing goes to waste! Pieces are approximately 5 mm or smaller in size.  Usable for inlay, or layering in glass vials for display, or whatever your heart desires!  Sold by the gram. 

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The trade name “White Buffalo” is used to identify the material that comes from the Tonopah, Nevada mine owned by the Otteson family.

The white stone is surrounded by black and brown flint-like chert (an opaque variety of quartz) which creates beautiful patterns. The stone appears in veins, is as hard as turquoise (Mohs hardness scale of 5.5 to 7.5) and cuts and polishes like turquoise.

Although often called “White Turquoise,” White Buffalo is not Turquoise at all. In fact, it is a long way from it. The main mineral is Calcite, but depending on the crystalline structure of the Calcite, it morphs into minerals called Dolomite or Aragonite with a high silica content.

Species: Dolomite
--Variety: -
Trade Name(s): White Buffalo Stone, White Buffalo Turquoise*
Origin: Nevada, USA
Enhancement(s): (N) Natural

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* Using the term "turquoise" to describe this material is deceptive and a punishable crime under US Federal Trade Commission regulations!! This is a calcite-based rock formation, whereas turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrated phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula CuAl₆(PO₄)₄(OH)₈·4H₂O.
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American Gem Trade Association Gemstone Enhancement Codes

Enhancement: Any treatment process other than cutting and polishing that improves the appearance (color/clarity/phenomena), durability, or availability of a gemstone.

(N) Natural
No modification; natural stones which are not currently known to be enhanced (or currently has no known modification process).