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 fact it came from the Sinai Peninsula or the Alimersai Mountain in Persia (now Iran), which has been mining Turquoise since 5000 BC. In Persian, Turquoise is known as “ferozah,” meaning victorious and it is the national gemstone of Iran to this day.

Legends and lore

Turquoise was one of the first gemstones ever mined, dating back to 6000 BC in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.

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 this blue gem.

Turquoise has been used for thousands of years as jewelry by the ancient Egyptians, who buried fine pieces with mummies. 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 as a result, the term “Persian Turquoise” is sometimes incorrectly 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.

The Anasazi people of America 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 also protected them from demons, while Apache warriors believed that wearing Turquoise improved their hunting prowess. Apache legend has it that if Turquoise was affixed to a bow, the arrows shot from it would always hit their mark. All these tribes believed that Turquoise brought good fortune and happiness.

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.

It is also believed that Turquoise helps one to start new projects and protects the wearer from falling, especially from horses! In Europe even today, Turquoise rings are still given as forget-me-not gifts.

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.

Just the facts

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). Turquoise is almost always opaque and polished as cabochons but rare, translucent gems also exist.

Turquoise jewelry in the US 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. Native American 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.