Turquoise: Mining Its Own Business |
The first gem ever mined (in 3000 BC) and the first known for exquisite color, this gemstone was introduced to Europe from Turkey, and thus called Turquoise from "Turkish". It has been prized for thousands of years, both in jewelry and as a decoration, an ornament, and in decorative tiles in Turkish homes and places of worship. Its natural and seldom-faceted appeal increased its popularity, with turquoise nuggets and beads still very popular in jewelry. It was also called "sky stone" and although Americans think of it as a product of the southwest, the largest supplier today is Iran. It also comes from Argentina, Australia, China, Israel, Brazil, Mexico, Tanzania, and China..
By some cultures it was considered a talisman of love, success, and courage. It decorated daggers, horse bridles, and sabres. Today by some it is thought to give protection to pilots, airplane crews, and others with high-risk occupations. It ranges in color from blue to green, and from translucent to opaque. Sky blue is the most desired color. The closer the stone is to green, and the more irregular the matrix in the stone, the less desirable it is. A matrix can be black, brown, or gray, depending upon the location where it is found. It is usually found in locations where there is a high degree of copper. The copper causes the blue color; iron and chrome causing the green color.
Unfortunately there have been many synthetic copies which are hard to detect even among experts. It has a hardness of 5-6 on the Mohls scale, and crafts made by the ancestral Pueblo tribes of turquoise is said to have brought them great wealth. Today the Hopi, Zuni, Santo Domingo, Navajo, and other Indian tribes make jewelry of turquoise and silver in the southwest, and many believe the stone opens a connection between the sea and sky..
It became an important stone in the West in the fourteenth century, and in Japan in the eighteenth century. Rulers in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and ancient China were adorned with the gemstones. In Persia it was considered the national stone, and used to decorate mosques and even wearing apparel such as turbans. The Persian scholar Al-Qazwini claimed, "The hand that wears a turquoise and seals with it will never see poverty." During the Mughai Empire it was brought to India, and used to adorn buildings, even the Taj Mahal.
It is usually cut into cabochons or beads rather than faceted; can be carved, and is often treated to prevent fading after receiving much wearing. Turquoises are very sensitive, and are sometimes given a series of treatments to protect them from cosmetics or bright light, A treatment of increasing the color must be brought to the buyer's attention. Those with a true color are waxed or treated with synthetic resin, and have higher value than those with artificially-enhanced hue. Pulverized turquoise has also been known to be used to construct other turquoises.
Some believe that wearing turquoise eases depression, and it is given as gifts as a tokens of friendship as it is believed to promote faithfulness and consistency in friendship. Other think that it is the perfect fashion accessory and is a gem of beauty.