Turquoise is an opaque material used as both a gemstone and ornamental material, it is coloured by copper, a rare colouring element giving rise to vibrant blue and green hues. Turquoise is the traditional birthstone for December and used as the anniversary gemstone for the 11th year.
The origin of the name Turquoise is from the French for “Turkish”, the stone would have previously been transported through Turkey on its journey to Europe from its source in Persia, now known as Iran. Turquoise is one of the oldest gemstones used in jewellery known as far back as Ancient Egypt 6,000 years ago. The Egyptians called it “Mefkat” meaning joy and delight. It has long had great significance as a stone used in burials not only with the Egyptians but also Native Americans. Such is the influence of the Turquoise with Native Americans, a medicine man is given no credence without one.
Turquoise was also believed to protect the wearer from falls, specifically from a horse, this was later extended to falls from buildings, cliffs and precipices. The association with protection of horses it not confined to just falling from one, talismans of Turquoise were attached by Turks to the bridals of their horses in the 14th Century, this was believed to make them surer footed.
The colour of Turquoise ranges from medium intense blue to greenish blue or green, the highest prized colour being a vibrant robin’s egg blue. Turquoise used in jewellery is an aggregate made up of thousands of microscopic crystals that form within rocks. The quality of Turquoise depends on the size of those crystals, the smaller and more compact they are the greater the polish possible on the piece and the greater the toughness of the stone. Sometimes remnants of the host rock, the matrix, remain within the Turquoise crystal which can devalue the stone, however if this matrix creates as an interesting pattern or network within the gemstone it can increase desirability and value.
Turquoise is frequently fashioned as cabochons, carvings, beads or inlays and is used both in jewellery and in ornaments. Turquoise can be relatively affordable as colourful pieces set in silver to wear to liven up an outfit. Prices range from a few pounds per ct for smaller, commercial quality stones to thousands of pounds for strands of beads made of the finest Turquoise. Turquoise does require a little more care than some stones, being relatively soft and susceptible to attack from some chemicals. Care must be taken not to scratch the stone when wearing, and it should only be cleaned with warm soapy water and a soft cloth.
Turquoise is frequently treated by impregnation to stabilise the stone and ensure it is completely durable, unless otherwise stated all our Turquoise, as is much of the Turquoise for sale in the UK, will be stabilised in this way.
