Turquoise
Turquoise, the birthstone of December, is found in only a few places on earth: dry and barren regions where acidic, copper-rich groundwater sees downward and reacts with minerals that contain phosphorus and aluminum. The result of this sedimentary process is a porous, semi-translucent to opaque compound of hydrated copper and aluminum phosphate. Turquoise is a prime example of an opaque colored stone that can be marketed both as a gem for jewelry and as an ornamental material.
Turquoise might lack the sparkle and clarity of transparent colored gemstones like ruby, emerald, diamond and sapphire, but its multi-layered history and soul-satisfying color make it a desirable gem. Its color can range from dull greens to grass greens, to a bright, medium-toned sky blue. People value turquoise highly for its combination of ancient heritage and unforgettable color.
Definition:
This December birthstone’s name comes from the French expression Pierre Tourques, or “Turkish Stone”. The name, which originated in the thirteenth century, reflects the fact that the mineral probably first arrived in Europe from Turkish sources.
Turquoise owes its texture to its structure and composition. It’s an aggregate of microscopic crystals that form a solid mass. If the crystals are packed closely together, the material is less porous, so it has a finer texture. Fine-textured turquoise has an attractive, waxy luster when it’s polished. Turquoise with a less-dense crystal structure has higher porosity and coarser texture, resulting in a dull luster when it’s polished.
Porosity and texture don’t just affect appearance: They affect durability. Turquoise is fairly soft. Turquoise with a coarse texture might have poor toughness, too. Samples with finer texture have fair to good toughness. In this December birthstone, low porosity and fine texture are more valuable than high porosity and coarse texture. Coarse, porous stones are usually treated to make them smoother, shinier, and more marketable.
Turquoise is relatively soft, so it’s ideal for carving. Artists in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas choose turquoise as a medium for carved jewelry and art objects. It’s often fashioned into talismans with Native American significance, such as bird and animal carvings, called fetishes. Top quality Turquoise has inspired designers to create elegant jewelry. It’s most often cut into cabochons, but it might also be cut into beads, or flat pieces for inlays.
Turquoise deposits usually form in iron-rich limonite or sandstone. Limonite creates dark brown markings in turquoise, while sandstone creates tan markings. These markings are remnants of the host rock within the turquoise, and can resemble splotches or veins. These are called matrix.
Manufacturers try to fashion turquoise so that no matrix is visible, but sometimes it’s unavoidable. Small amounts of turquoise might be scattered through the host rock in such a way that the rough material can’t yield any cut specimens large enough to fashion into gems without including some matrix. The presence of matrix can lower the value of turquoise, but that doesn’t mean turquoise with matrix is worthless or unmarketable. Some buyers actually prefer the presence of matrix in fashioned turquoise if its effect is attractive and balanced.
This is especially true if it’s a type of turquoise known in the trade as Spider Web Turquoise. It contains matrix in thin, delicate, web-like patterns across the face of the gemstone. The patterns provide a dark contrast to the gem’s bright blue. In the market for top-quality Turquoise, stones with no matrix at all command the highest prices. Gems with attractive Spider Web matrix rank second in value.
The History of Turquoise:
This December birthstone has been cherished for millennia. The pharaohs and other rulers of ancient Egypt adorned themselves with it. Ancient Egyptians called Turquoise “mafkat”, which also means “joy” and “delight”. Chinese artisans carved it more than 3000 years ago. Turquoise is the national gem of Tibet.
The Turquoise birthstone adorns the funerary mask of King Tut, who ruled Egypt more than 3000 years ago. It also appears in jewelry belonging to more modern royalty: Wallace Simpson (1896-1986), Duchess of Windsor (the woman for whom King Edward VIII gave up his throne), wore a famous Amethyst & Turquoise Necklace made by Cartier.
The Turquoise birthstone was thought to possess many beneficial powers, like guaranteeing health and good fortune. From the 13th century on, it was believed to protect the wearer from falling (especially off horses), and would break into several pieces at the approach of disaster. Hindu mystics maintained that seeing a turquoise after beholding the new moon ensured fantastic wealth.
Montezuma, thinking Cortes was Quetzalcoatl, gave him the god’s favorite gem: Turquoise.
This December birthstone also played an important role in the lives of Native Americans. Many U.S. consumers are familiar with the traditional jewelry of Native American peoples such as the Pueblo, Hopi, Zuni, Apache, and Navajo. The Apache thought turquoise could be found by following a rainbow to its end. They also believed that attaching turquoise to a bow or firearm made one’s aim more accurate. The Pueblo maintained that turquoise got its color from the sky, while the Hopi thought the gem was produced by lizards scurrying over the earth.
In European tradition, the gift of a turquoise ring means “forget me not”. Turquoise is considered a national treasure in Tibet, where it is believed to grant health, good fortune, and protection from evil. December’s birthstone is also known to impart peace to those who wear it.
Symbolism:
Psychologically, Turquoise is a strengthening stone. It dissolves a martyred attitude or self-sabotage. Mentally, Turquoise instills inner calm while remaining alert, and aids creative expression. Emotionally, Turquoise stabilizes mood swings and brings inner calm. It can stimulate romantic love. Physically, Turquoise is an excellent stone for exhaustion, depression, or panic attacks.
Turquoise is a most efficient healer, providing solace for the spirit and well-being for the body. It is a protective stone and has been used for amulets for millennia. Turquoise promotes spiritual attunement and enhances communication with the physical and spiritual realms.
This birthstone is a purification stone. It dispels negative energy and provides protection against pollutants in the environment. In traditional thought, Turquoise unites the earth and the sky. It is empathetic and balancing, a promoter of self-realization, and assists in creative problem-solving.
Arizona is known for intense blue turquoise
Location:
Turquoise has been mined in the Nishapur district of Iran (formerly known as Persia) for more than 1000 years. The prized even-color, intense blue turquoise from this region is dubbed “robin’s egg blue”, “sky blue”, and “Persian blue”. Trade professionals now use these terms to describe turquoise of this color – regardless of the source.
Although New Mexico was the largest producer of Turquoise in the U.S. until the 1920s, today most of the U.S. production comes from Arizona and Nevada. Mines have evocative names like Dry Creek, Easter Blue, Emerald Valley and Fox. The Kingman mine in Arizona is a historically important source that is known for producing intense blue turquoise. Now closed to turquoise mining, Arizona’s Sleeping Beauty mine was a prolific producer for more than four decades.
Today, China is the world’s largest producer of this December Birthstone. Hubei Province, in central China, is the source of most of the gem-quality turquoise currently being mined there.
Care & Cleaning:
Some Turquoise is treated to improve its durability, appearance and polish. It has a harness of 5 to 6 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness. Turquoise is also dyed or chemically enhanced by adding an epoxy or acrylic resin for greater hardness or better color. Also seen are cavities filled with a metal-loaded epoxy to imitate pyrite inclusions.
Turquoise is generally stable to light, but high heat can cause discoloration and breakage. Your Turquoise birthstone can be damaged by acids, and it can be discolored by certain chemicals, cosmetics and even skin oils, or perspiration. It’s safe to clean turquoise jewelry with warm, soapy water, but this December birthstone should never be cleaned with steam or ultrasonic cleaners. Heat or solvents can damage the treated surfaces on some turquoise.
Why We Love This Gemstone
Spider Web: The spider web of veins that appear in turquoise are matrix: evidence of the surrounding rock.
Legacy: A legacy of turquoise appreciation spans the globe, from ancient Egypt, to Mesoamerica, to China.
Copper: Turquoise is colored by copper, which creates some of the most vivid blues and greens in the gems.
Turquoise is judged on its color, texture, the absence of matrix, and whether it’s natural or treated, or dyed.
COLOR
The even blue color of “Persian Blue” in Turquoise is valued as best in the trade.
CLARITY
Many free-form turquoise cabochons show a typical matrix pattern.
CUT
Although Turquoise is usually cut into beads and cabochons, it can also be carved and faceted.
CARAT
Cutters work around large areas of matrix to yield pieces of evenly colored turquoise.
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