Turquoise Properties, Facts and Photos
| Contents 1. What is Turquoise 2. Fake Turquoise 3. Colour of Turquoise 4. Turquoise Healing Properties 5. Article Pictures 6. Shop Turquoise |
What is Turquoise?
Turquoise is a blue-to-green mineral with a history that can be traced back to 6000 BC.
Although turquoise can be found with well-formed crystals, it's extremely rare. It mostly occurs in a massive crystal habit, meaning crystals grow as one large, shapeless mass.
Turquoise is a secondary mineral formed through the breakdown of other minerals in a host rock. It's often found close to copper.
It occurs in arid regions when rainwater carries copper and phosphate minerals through the ground. As the water slowly evaporates, turquoise begins to form.
Turquoise forms in veins, nodules, or crusts within the host rock.
The word 'turquoise' comes from the word 'turquois,' which means 'Turkish stone'. The French gave turquoise this name in the 17th century.
They believed it originated in Turkey when in fact it had only passed through there on its way to Europe. The turquoise would have been mined in the northeast of Persia, modern-day Iran.
Despite being one of the oldest gemstones, turquoise is still extremely popular. Records from the reign of the Egyptian Pharaoh Semerkhet detail extensive mining operations involving thousands of workers.
Turquoise artefacts discovered in ancient Egyptian burial chambers have been dated to 3000 BC. Turquoise beads have been dated to 4000 BC. Turquoise found in Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) dates back to 5000 BC.
The most famous artefact is the funerary mask of King Tutankhamun. This priceless work of art features turquoise, lapis lazuli, white quartz, carnelian, amazonite, other gemstones and coloured glass.
Ancient Roman author and philosopher Pliny the Elder mentioned what is believed to be turquoise in his works Naturalis Historia. Published around 77 AD, he referred to it as 'callais' or 'callaina'.
In the Bible, turquoise is said to have been the first stone in the second row of the high priest breastplate. This religious garment was worn over the top of a type of tunic.
Turquoise has long been revered by Native American Indians, including the Navajo and Apache tribes. It's known to have been mined as early as 1000 AD by the Anasazi natives in the southwestern United States. It was also widely used by the Incas, Aztecs and Maya.
By far the most important gemstone used in traditional jewellery, many would argue turquoise is fundamental to American Indian culture.
Napoleon I gave his second wife a diadem on the occasion of their marriage. Made by French jeweller Etienne Nitot et Fils of Paris, it originally featured emeralds and diamonds set in gold and silver.
In 1953, the diadem was sold to Van Cleef and Arpels who, at some point between 1956 and 1962, replaced the emeralds with seventy-nine Persian turquoise cabochons. The emeralds, which were subsequently sold in other pieces of jewellery, were promoted as being from the historic diadem.
Fake Turquoise
Archaeologists have found fake turquoise in Egypt, which suggests it was likely to have been the first gemstone to be imitated.
Throughout history, turquoise has been imitated more than any other natural stone. When buying turquoise, it's always worth considering whether it could be fake.
The most popular man-made materials used to produce fake turquoise are plastic, glass, and ceramic. If turquoise is lightweight and warm to the touch, it's likely to be plastic. Other materials may not be quite as obvious.
The mineral howlite is also widely used because it's relatively cheap, can have similar markings, and is porous, so is easy to dye. The dark spidery veins in howlite can easily be mistaken for the matrix in turquoise.
Trade names such as white turquoise or white buffalo turquoise are often used for dyed howlite. White turquoise does not exist.
Other minerals used to produce fake turquoise include low-grade chrysocolla or azurite and magnesite.
Fake turquoise can often be identified based on appearance alone. The most obvious clue is usually price, as genuine turquoise is rarely cheap.
They're synthetic, probably plastic. The only thing vaguely turquoise about them is their colour. Not all fake turquoise is as bad as this.
This double-terminated point, listed in an online marketplace, is a typical example of fake turquoise.
Several tests can be carried out to determine whether turquoise is real or fake. Sadly, most will cause some damage. The least destructive and easiest method is a scratch test. This measures the resistance of one mineral to being scratched by another.On the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, turquoise grades 5 to 6. This means it can be scratched by another mineral with the same hardness or one that's higher.
Howlite grades 3 to 3.5, azurite 3.5 to 4, and chrysocolla 2.5 to 3.5. Magnesite has a similar hardness to turquoise.
Fluorite grades 4 on the Mohs scale, so will scratch howlite, azurite and chrysocolla but not magnesite or turquoise.
Colour of the Mineral Turquoise
Turquoise was first recorded as a colour in 1573. It's described as 70% blue, 30% green. Turquoise is one of only a few natural minerals to have given its name to a colour.
With regards to the mineral, personal preference for colour varies from one country to the next. In Iran, where turquoise has been highly prized since antiquity, bluer shades are more popular. In Tibet and India, green is the colour of choice.
The colour of turquoise can vary significantly from subtle shades of blue to rich shades of green. Copper is the chemical element responsible for blue, while green is caused by impurities of iron. Although extremely rare, yellow comes from zinc.
The spidery veins, known as matrix, are part of the host rock in which the mineral formed. Pure blue turquoise void of matrix is highly sought after.
Turquoise is a relatively soft and fragile mineral. Being porous, it absorbs moisture, which can over time cause irreparable damage. When worn as jewellery, it can also absorb oils from the skin.
The colour of turquoise can fade if exposed to excessive heat, and in extreme circumstances, can even crack. Turquoise jewellery should be protected from perfume, hairspray, cosmetics and other pollutants in the atmosphere. If not wiped off quickly, these substances can leave a residue that can be difficult to remove.
Many of the superstitions associated with turquoise come from its tendency to crack, fade or change colour.
On the Modern Birthstone Chart, turquoise is the birthstone for December. Blue topaz can be used as an alternative.
The USA, Tibet, China, Afghanistan, and Australia are the world's main producers.
Turquoise Healing Properties
Throughout history, turquoise has been used for protection and was believed to change colour if danger was approaching.
Today, it's said to strengthen the immune system and increase the flow of energy through the body.
Turquoise is a master healing stone that comforts, supports and replenishes. It promotes spiritual development and the ability to communicate with other realms.
Turquoise can be used to explore past lives and release unwanted patterns of behaviour. It purifies the environment, dispels negative thoughts, and balances male and female energies.
Turquoise is great for problem-solving and can help calm nerves when speaking in public. It instils confidence, aids creative expression, stabilizes mood swings and brings inner calm. Healers recommend it for mental exhaustion, depression and panic attacks.
The calming energy of turquoise may also be used to calm fiery emotions.
Turquoise in shades of green and blue combine the energies of the heart and throat chakras. These colours can be used to enhance self-expression and improve communication, especially in matters relating to love.
Turquoise should not be allowed to get wet and should not be placed in sunlight. Exposure to either is likely to cause it to mark, lose colour or even crack.
Article Pictures
The turquoise at the top of our article is from the Sleeping Beauty mine in Arizona. The turquoise in the second from last picture comes from Bisbee, southeast Arizona. Both are courtesy of Stan Celestian.
The turquoise in the second photo, which comes from Kazakhstan, is courtesy of Géry Parent.
The diadem of Marie Louise is from the website of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History where it's currently housed.
The turquoise in the last photo, which is also in the Smithsonian, was taken by Stone Mania.
The white howlite is courtesy of James St.John.
Pictures are clickable and redirect to the original photo.
Pop-up photos: Copper, azurite - Courtesy of Stan Celestian. Lapis Lazuli, magnesite - Courtesy of James St. John. Snow Quartz - From our Collection. Amazonite - Courtesy of Steve Blyskal.
