Recommended Turquoise Jewelry Pieces – All Affordable

 

What Is Turquoise?

Turquoise is one of the oldest stones with a splendid history of thousands of years, well known for its unique turquoise blue color and is very popular with people of all ages.

The word turquoise derives from French and means Turkish stone. But Turkey does not produce such a gemstone. Turquoise is said to have been originally produced by the ancient Persians and got its name after it was transported to Europe by the Turks. write for us business

Turquoise Birthstone

"What is my birthstone?" is a common search on the Internet. The list of birthstones by months was officially compiled by the Jewelers of America in 1912.

If you are born in December or are a Sagittarius, you are in luck: you may be attracted to this beautiful stone, as it is one of the December birthstones, the others being Tanzanite and Zircon. Turquoise promises good luck, protection, and the ability to predict danger.

History And Popularity Of Turquoise Jewelry

During the first dynasty of ancient Egypt, before 5500 AD, the Egyptian king sent a well-organized task force of two to three thousand people, guarded by the army, to find and mine turquoise.

Archaeologists discovered Egyptian tombs and found that the Egyptian king had been wearing turquoise beads as early as 5500 BC write for us guest post

Turquoise is one of the oldest gemstones.

Turquoise's unique color, like the blue of the sky and the blue of the sea, makes it considered a sacred or protective gem. It is also used by people of all ethnic groups around the world as a sacred crystal.

This gemstone is not only the world's cultural and geographic favourite, but also a precious material used by the world's leading jewelry brands such as Tiffany, Bulgari, Van Cleef & Arpels, Piaget and Cartier.

At present, a wide variety of turquoise jewelry on the market is gaining popularity.

Turquoise Properties

Turquoise is classified as a semi-precious stone in the modern gemstone identification classification. It is an aluminophosphate mineral of water and copper and belongs to the phosphate minerals.

The hardness of turquoise ranges between 5 and 6 (only moderate), the density ranges between 2.6 and 2.9, and the refractive index is 1.62, belonging to the triclinic system.

Turquoise Blue: Such A Unique And Beautiful Color

Natural turquoise has mainly a sky blue color, so typical that it becomes a standard color – turquoise blue. In addition to sky blue, we can also see green, yellow and gray.

The color of turquoise is mainly due to the elements it contains. Iron makes the gem appear green, copper makes it appear blue, and the amount of water content will also affect the hue. In general, the color of turquoise is relatively uniform.

Types Of Turquoise

The color of turquoise varies depending on the elements it contains. It is blue when copper is present in the oxide and green when iron is present.

In general, turquoise is mostly sky blue, light blue, teal blue, green, and pale white with green. High-quality turquoise is uniform in color, has a soft sheen, and does not have brown iron lines.

Blue Turquoise

Blue Turquoise Pendant by Monica Vinader $85,

Blue and green are the most common colors of turquoise, with blue being the most typical. In general, blue turquoises are more valuable than green ones.

Green Turquoise

Turquoise Vs. White Buffalo Turquoise (Howlite)

Calming White Buffalo Turquoise (howlite) Gorjana Ring $68, 

White buffalo turquoise is not turquoise. Instead, howlite stone is sometimes sold under the trade names "white turquoise" or "white buffalo turquoise" , or the name derived from "white buffalo stone", and is used to produce jewelry similar in shape to How is turquoise used?

Because of its porous texture and turquoise-like gray and black veining, howlite can be easily dyed to mimic other stones, especially green turquoise and lapis lazuli. This dyed howlite is sometimes sold as turquoise.

Although undyed, howlite is often sold as turquoise or white buffalo turquoise, even though these stones are not related.

Turquoise Vs. White Turquoise (Natural)

Meanwhile, the natural white turquoise stone does exist. This is a variety of turquoise that is white rather than the typical blue or green, and is also marketed as "buffalo white turquoise."

Unfortunately, natural white turquoise is extremely rare and soft (with a Mohs hardness of 1), which has made howlite more popular for use in jewelry than true white turquoise.

Places Of Origin

Although most often identified by their blue-green color, turquoise stones can be found as extreme in color as yellowish-green. Used to decorate the domes of mosques in Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Central Asia and Russia, the clergy believed that this stone represented the origins of heaven and the gifts that God sent to earth.

It is mined as far away as China and Kazakhstan and as close as Chile, Mexico, California, Arkansas, Texas, Nevada, and Arizona - New Mexico was the top producing state for turquoise in the 1920s, replaced by Nevada in the 1980s and Arizona more recently.

Turquoise Meaning

Turquoise comes with the promise of good luck, protection, and gives its wearer the ability to predict coming danger.

In the eyes of the Indians, turquoise, with its unique turquoise blue color, is considered the spirit of the blue sky and sea, and symbolizes luck and good fortune.

Today it is known internationally as the "December birthstone", signifying success and victory. It is the "stone of success" and the "stone of luck". For those born in December, wearing turquoise guarantees a life of peace and good luck.

Sages also insist that turquoise can protect against falls, which is why horseback riders tied turquoise to bridles thousands of years ago to safeguard rider and horse. Some still do.

The Aztec people believed that the god Quetzalcoatl imbued this stone with magical properties. The Navajos used it to summon rain and Apache shamans were declared illegitimate if they did not possess Turquoise.