Turquoise

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Jewelry 101--Colored Stones

Turquoise

Like amber and jade, turquoise is a semi-precious stone that has been used in jewelry for millennia. In many cultures of both the Old and New Worlds this gemstone has been considered a holy stone and bringer of good fortune. Found in only a few places around the world, places that are dry and where acidic, copper-rich groundwater seeps downward and reacts with minerals that contain phosphorus and aluminum, Turquoise is increasingly harder to find as many of the historical sites have been mined out. Fortunately, however, turquoise is still often discovered as a byproduct of large-scale copper mining operations in the United States.

4,000 BC turquoise buried in Ancient Egyptian tombs is among the world’s oldest jewelry.
Turquoise is one of the world’s most ancient gems. Archaeological excavations revealed that the rulers of ancient Egypt adorned themselves with turquoise jewelry, and Chinese artisans were carving it more than 3,000 years ago.
Turquoise is the national gem of Tibet.
Turquoise is found in only a few places on earth: dry and barren regions where acidic, copper-rich groundwater seeps downward and reacts with minerals that contain phosphorus and aluminum.
Turquoise is colored by copper, which creates some of the most vivid blues and greens in gems.
The gem’s name comes from the French expression "pierre tourques", or “Turkish stone.” The name, which originated in the thirteenth century, reflects the fact that the material probably first arrived in Europe from Turkish sources.
Turquoise was a ceremonial gem and a medium of exchange for Native American tribes in the southwestern US. They also used it in their jewelry and amulets.
The traditional source for the top color, sometimes described as robin’s-egg blue or sky blue, is the Nishapur district of Iran, the country formerly known as Persia. So, quite often, you’ll hear people in the trade call turquoise of this beautiful color “Persian Blue,” whether or not it was actually mined in Iran.
Turquoise deposits usually form in iron-rich limonite or sandstone.
Gemstones often have dark brown or tan markings called matrix. Matrix consists of limonite or sandstone in which turquoise is often found.
While some buyers prefer turquoise with matrix, stones with no matrix are considered the most valuable.
The color of turquoise varies, ranging from a powder blue to a sky blue, and from a blue-green to a yellowish green. The blue is attributed to idiochromatic copper while the green may be the result of either iron impurities (replacing aluminium) or dehydration.
Turquoise is often recovered as a byproduct of large-scale copper mining operations, especially in the United States.
Turquoise is the gemstone of the 11th marriage anniversary.
Turquoise is the traditional birthstone for December and an alternate birthstone for July.

Specs

Chemical Formula	CuAl₆(PO₄)₄ (OH)₈ • 4H₂O	Mineral Class	Turquoise
Color	Blue to green
Crystal System	Triclinic	Hardness	5-6
Transparency	Opaque	Luster	Waxy
Refractory Index	1.610 - 1.650	Double Refraction	Not detectable

Legends

Turquoise has long been considered a stone that guarantees health, good fortune, and protection from evil.

The Apaches believed that turquoise attached to a bow or firearm increased a hunter’s or warrior’s accuracy.

The goddess Hathor was associated with turquoise, as she was the patroness of Serabit el-Khadim, where it was mined. Her titles included "Lady of Turquoise", "Mistress of Turquoise", and "Lady of Turquoise Country".

Turquoise is credited with the property of securing friendly regard, verifying the traditional saying that “He, or she, who owns a turquoise will never want for a friend".

In the Orient, a turquoise ring was worn as a protector against all things evil.

Native Americans saw turquoise as a sign of divinity and power because it stole its color from the sky and sea.

The Hopi worship a god of turquoise and embed the stone into beams and posts of their places of worship.

Early Persians thought it cured epilepsy and insanity.

Medieval Europeans used pulverized turquoise to cure eye ailments, ulcers, and heartburn.

As late as the seventeenth century turquoise was cosidered effective only if received as a gift.

Tibetans cosider turquoise a stone of good fortune, health, and protection against contagion and the "evil eye".

The Pueblo Indians of the American Southwest, also following centuries old traditions, venerate turquoise, use it in jewelry, and put it under the floor of new houses or ceremonial structures for good luck and protection.