Mining for turquoise is a decades-old tradition in New Mexico where mines hidden in the Cerrillo Hills near Madrid are considered some of the oldest in North America.
“Sometimes, you’ll get magic pockets where you find one, and then you’ll find another, and another,” Riana Newman Peaker, owner of Trading Bird Gallery Owner told KRQE.
Peaker is continuing a family business that was opened by her father Wayland Peaker in 1988. Wayland Peaker was known for his jewelry designs and Riana took over in 2002 and maintains the family tradition of searching for the beautiful turquoise stone.
“It’s so relaxing,” Peaker told KRQE. “It can be hard work, but it’s really meditative. It’s fun to connect with the land and with nature and supply turquoise that we’ve collected to locals and out to the world.”
Peaker purchased mining claims to mine the hills located only miles away from her shop on Madrid’s main street. She and her crew dig with shovels, then hand sifts to find the colorful stones.
“It’s always good to look on the surface before we start digging and screening and raking because we may have turned up something in our last visit here,” Peaker told KRQE.
Colors in turquoise can range from white, light blue, and dark green. Once found, the stones are cut, polished, and made into a piece.
Peaker hopes to start taking tours out to the mines to teach tourists about the history and importance of the area.
