Green Turquoise Cabochon
A larger, chunkier piece of turquoise carefully chosen for our collection of rocks and minerals.
The history of turquoise can be traced back thousands of years. Despite its popularity as a gemstone, it's a relatively soft and fragile mineral that's prone to fading and cracking if not well cared for.
Turquoise forms mainly in arid environments from the alteration or weathering of existing rocks rich in aluminium. The main constituent in most commercial-grade turquoise is a mineral called planerite.
The colour of turquoise can vary depending on the amount of iron and other minerals present. It forms within existing rocks over thousands of years.
The dark spidery veins often but not always present are the remnants of the host rock in which it formed.
The front of this turquoise cabochon has been polished to a vitreous lustre. The back which is unpolished, has a dull lustre.
Being soft and fragile, turquoise can be a difficult stone to cut.
