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Turquoise

Introduction
 

One of December’s birthstones and popular for 6,000 years, Turquoise, a hydrated phosphate of copper and aluminum, is prized as a gemstone whose intense blue color is often mottled with veins of brown limonite or black manganese oxide (commonly known as Spider Web Turquoise).

The name Turquoise is derived from the French “Pierre Turquois” meaning “Turkish Stone”. This is because Western Europeans mistakenly thought the gem came from Turkey. In actual fact it came from the Sinai Peninsula or Alimersai Mountain in Persia (now Iran), which has been mining Turquoise since 5,000 BC. In Persian, Turquoise is known as “Ferozah”, meaning victorious and it is the national gemstone of Iran to this day.

Turquoise has inspired peoples of many different cultures and nations over the entire course of mankind’s written history. Today, Turquoise is more popular than ever as modern designers incorporate Egyptian, Persian and Native American motifs with modern silversmithing and production techniques.
 

In Ancient times the Egyptians, Persians, Mongols and Tibetans all valued Turquoise highly. The first millennium AD saw a big increase in the popularity of Turquoise with both the Chinese and Native Americans becoming captivated by the blue stone.
 

Turquoise has been used for thousands of years as Jewelry by the ancient Egyptians, who buried fine pieces with mummies. Turquoise was one of the first gemstones ever mined, dating back to 6000 BC in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. The Egyptians began mining Turquoise in the Sinai Peninsula around 5500 BC. When the tomb of Queen Zer was unearthed in 1900, a Turquoise and gold bracelet was found on her wrist, making this one of the oldest pieces of jewelry on earth!
 

The Persians preferred sky blue Turquoise and the term “Persian Turquoise” is now used as a color grade, not as a geographical indicator.
 

In Mexico, the Aztecs began mining Turquoise between 900-1000 AD, often fashioning it into elaborate masks. Montezuma's treasure, now displayed in the British Museum, includes a fantastic carved serpent covered by a mosaic of Turquoise. In ancient Mexico, Turquoise was reserved for the gods; it could not be worn by mere mortals.
 

The Anasazi people mined Turquoise in what are now Arizona, New Mexico and colorado. The city of Chaco Canyon became very wealthy based on the Turquoise trade, which was often exchanged for the feathers of tropical birds. Turquoise from this area found its way around the trade routes of the American continent and has been unearthed as far away as the great Mayan city of Chichén Itzá in the Yucatán. By the 16th Century, the cultures of the American Southwest were using Turquoise as currency.
 

In North America, the Zuni people of New Mexico have created striking Turquoise Jewelry set in silver, once believing these protected them from demons. The Navajo believed that Turquoise had fallen from the sky and thus protected them from demons, while Apache warriors believed that wearing Turquoise improved their hunting prowess. Legend has it that some Native Americans believed that if Turquoise was affixed to a bow, the arrows shot from it would always hit their mark. These tribes also believed that Turquoise brought happiness and good fortune to all.
 

European interest in Turquoise can be dated to around 500 BC when the people of Siberia began using the gem, but it did not make an impact on Western European fashion until the late middle ages when trading with the Near and Middle East increased.
 

While the Chinese had some mines in their empire, they imported most of their Turquoise from Persians, Turks, Tibetans and Mongols.
 

In Asia it was considered protection against the evil eye. Tibetans carved Turquoise into ritual objects as well as wearing it in traditional jewelry. Ancient manuscripts from Persia, India, Afghanistan, and Arabia report that the health of a person wearing Turquoise can be assessed by variations in the color of the gem. Turquoise was also thought to promote prosperity.
 

Turquoise is cut as cabochons, flat pieces for inlaid work, beads, cameos and irregular pieces are often set in mosaics.
 

Turquoise Jewelry in the U.S. has long been produced by Native Americans (Zuni and Navajo peoples). Today, Turquoise is prominently associated with Native American culture particularly Zuni bracelets, Navajo concha belts, squash blossom necklaces and thunderbird motifs. The Native American Jewelry or “Indian style” jewelry with Turquoise mounted in or with silver is actually relatively new. Some believe this style of jewelry was unknown prior to about 1880, when a white trader persuaded a Navajo craftsman to make Turquoise and silver jewelry using coin silver. Prior to this time, the Native Americans had made solid Turquoise beads, carvings and inlaid mosaics.
 

Turquoise is currently mined in Arizona and New Mexico, U.S.A.; Australia; Afghanistan; and Iran, which arguably produces the world’s finest quality Turquoise. Other U.S. Turquoise occurs in the Mojave Desert of California, the Cerrillos Hills near Sante Fe in New Mexico and the sates of Arizona, Nevada, Utah and colorado. Many of these deposits were mined centuries ago by Native Americans. Sky blue Turquoise occurs in Iran and a green variety occurs in Tibet. Additional mines are in Cornwall in England, Siberia in Russia, France, Germany, Chile, Egypt and China.
 

Turquoise from Iran is often said to be the best because it is sometimes a clear sky blue with no green modifying color and no black veins running through it. Turquoise just as fine is also mined in Arizona and New Mexico. In general, the bluer the blue, the higher the value. A clear even texture without mottling or veins is also preferred.