Unravelling the Secrets of Bisbee's Famous Turquoise Occurrence with Mark Pecha, PhD

Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum
Free Online Program
Unravelling the Secrets of Bisbee's Famous Turquoise Occurrence with Mark Pecha, PhD
Recorded - Saturday, December 13, 2025, 11:00 am - MST

Bisbee is world famous for its incredible mineral heritage. World-class specimens of azurite, malachite, cuprite, brochantite, calcite, spangolite, and/or paramelaconite grace many of the best mineral museums from across the globe. While turquoise specimens are often overlooked by the average mineral collector, Bisbee turquoise is highly prized within the lapidary and gem/jewelry communities. This presentation by Mark Pecha, PhD explores the history of turquoise recovery in Bisbee, and the unique geological characteristics of the occurrence. Mark will also present current geochronologic/geochemical research that enables us to distinguish Bisbee turquoise from other deposits from around the globe.

Dr. Mark Pecha is the research manager for the Arizona LaserChron Center (ALC) within the Department of Geosciences at the University of Arizona (UofA). Mark completed both his MS and PhD at the UofA, and specializes in geochronology, geochemistry, and plate tectonics of the North American Cordillera. Mark has managed the ALC for ~16 years and during this time has co-authored over 60 peer-reviewed geological publications. Mark is passionate about the mineralogy of Arizona (particularly Bisbee) and collects mineral specimens that tell a geological story.