The beautiful blue-green color of Turquoise, the birthstone of December, will transport you somewhere warm in the depths of winter: to tropical seas with its blue-green color and oceanic patterns, or to the clear desert sky above the American Southwest or Persia in its sky-blue variety. The name by which we know it today comes from the French, who called it pierre turquoise, as the first turquoise to reach Europe passed through Turkey, but its influence and historical and cultural significance range far wider than that.
History
While the Persians (located in modern-day Iran) have been mining turquoise for two thousand years, the gemstone has been in use for even longer. Turquoise has appeared in jewelry for longer than almost any other gemstone. The subtle bands of light blue that so beautifully complement the dark blue lapis lazuli and contrast the gold in Tutankhamun’s mask, dating back to the 1300s BCE, are turquoise. It was one of the first stones mined by humans, as it can be collected from the ground without a lot of manpower, sophisticated tools, or complex mining techniques. Even today, it is often mined by hand, just as it was thousands of years ago.
During the Mogul era, master artisans from all over Asia flocked to India. Persian artists brought their love of turquoise, integrating that unique shade of blue-green into the classic Mughal color palette of gold, jade, ruby, and sapphire. It’s one of the inspirations for some of our own pieces, such as the Seven Chakra Charm Bracelet and Mogul Kamala Turquoise Earrings.
In the United States, however, turquoise is most closely linked to Southwestern Native American cultures, such as the Pueblo, Zuni, Hopi, and Navajo. Turquoise is connected with elemental forces in many Southwestern creation myths. The Navajo say the first man and woman used a stone disk with a turquoise edge to create the sun, while for the Zuni, blue turquoise represents masculine energy and the sky and green turquoise represents feminine energy and the earth.
Color
If you remember your high school chemistry class, you might remember the time the teacher added copper to a flame and turned it green. Copper has the same effect on turquoise. Its presence in trace amounts gives the stone its distinctive color, ranging from blue-green to pale green.
In addition to copper, turquoise also contains iron. Both copper and iron are prone to oxidation: it’s why metal objects form rust and the copper Statue of Liberty has turned green. Over the course of decades, your turquoise may slowly change color due to oxidation, with complex patterns of green, brown, and yellow forming on the surface. This is a natural phenomenon that many turquoise lovers find beautiful.
Cleaning and Care
Turquoise was born in the desert and prefers that kind of arid climate, but it can thrive anywhere with a little care. Due to its porous surface and the presence of copper and iron, exposure to oils (including skin oils), humidity, and moisture can accelerate this color change or damage the stone. When you’re not wearing it (which might not be often, because you’ll never want to take it off!), store turquoise jewelry in a dry and dark place, preferably in a sealable plastic bag inside of a box. Take care to wipe down your turquoise with warm soapy water after use.
