Turquoise

Turquoise is a soft, opaque gemstone. Ranging from blue-green, to yellow-green with grey, black or brown veining.  Turquoise was used for artistic carving and jewelry, which has always been popular in the Orient. In China, Turquoise dates to the thirteenth century A.D. Although most brought from trade with the Persians, Turks, Tibetans, and the Mongols. Tibet had its own source of turquoise usually a green cast, very hard stone with significant amount of spider webbing.

The Tibetans highly revered turquoise and was used in many areas as currency. Ancient doctors thought turquoise prevented injury through accident, and would place perfect stones over the eyes to prevent blindness. They also ground it into a powder to cure stomach disorders, internal bleeding, ailments of the hip and bites and stings. Turquoise is believed to protect the wearer from danger. In various countries, it is believed to fade when illness or danger is near.

 Another belief is that a fading stone indicates a lover’s faithlessness or a friend’s disaffection.

Turquoise is the birthstone for the month of December.

 One of the oldest known minerals, turquoise stones date back to 5500 B.C. ancient Egypt or earlier. In fact the oldest known source of the turquoise gem stone is the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt along with the Alimersai Mountain in modern-day Iran (formerly Persia). The finest turquoise came from Persia and, therefore, Persian Turquoise meant quality.

 But around the time of the turn of the 20th Century, miners rediscovered turquoise stones in the southwestern, U.S. These gems, once used by ancient American Indians, were an equal or even greater class of turquoise gem stone than the Persian. As a result, the title Persian Turquoise now describes the quality rather than origin of the stone. Native American Indians believed the turquoise stones joined the spirits of the sky and oceans to bless warriors in battle. The Navajo Indians, on the other hand, felt that casting a turquoise stone into a waterway and summoning the spirit of the rain god resulted in a good rainfall.

Ancient Persian and Egyptian doctors used it to prevent one from getting hurt in an accident. Other doctors used it to prevent blindness. Still, others turned it into a salve to prevent or cure other illnesses—from stomach aches to psychological disorders. Other ancient people used it to gain insight into the future, prevent danger, influence dreams, predict weather events, and protect animals and gain wealth and other good fortunes.