Tiffany Stone is a volcanic pegmatite that displays a mix of minerals in an unending variety of patterns. This a list of the minerals that produce the colors and patterns that make this rock so desirable to collectors. Although there are others, the signature minerals are:
The stone was named by Todd Harris for his daughter, Tiffany. As a young man he worked at the Brush-Wellman mine in western Utah and would collect small nodules of the material and give them to her as gifts. He moved his family from Delta to Hurricane, Utah and opened the Zion Prospector Rock Shop near the western entrance of Zion National Park where Tiffany Stone is featured and sold to this day.
Utah Tiffany Stone is also known as ice cream opalite or purple opal due to its swirled, creamy appearance. It may also be identified as opal fluorite, purple passion, purple opal and bertrandite. Due to the popularity of this lapidary material and desire to create a niches market, many dealers are trying to capitalize on its fame and new names pop up on a regular basis.
Utah Tiffany Stone is only found in one location worldwide, the Brush Wellman mine. IThe mine has been in operation since the late 1960’s.and is located on Spor Mountain in the Thomas Range of Juab County, Utah. This specimen comes from an old collection that was found in that location. The mine is also the largest known source of bertrandite ore in the world, one of the primary sources of the mineral. The finished metal is used for aerospace, medical, and military purposes.
When this lapidary material first entered the market and Winter Rock and Gems Show in Quartzite, Arizona, it was not an immediate success. However, due to its unique and eye catching blend of colors, along with Harris’ persistence to introduce it to the collectors of the world it eventually caught on and then took off, With the general scarcity of this rock, it is not uncommon to find rough slabs going for premium prices. That coupled with the mines closeing to the public, the value is only expected to rise.