Turquoise

Image used with permission from
Dad's Rock Shop

Turquoise: The name turquoise seems to come from the Turks. The Egyptians used it as an ornamental and decorative stone. They also used to grind it up to use in their cosmetics - eye shadow.

It seems that turquoise was considered a stone of life and good fortune and had healing properties. In Egypt, the earliest known use of Turquoise and the first mines of Sinai, it was mentioned as having mystical powers and was used in the art figures and ornaments. In India it was used in art, medicine, and jewelry. In Tibet every Tibetan carried or wore a piece of turquoise all their life. In North and South America the stone was used in religion, art, trade, and treaty negotiations as well as for jewelry. It was considered to be associated with life itself.

It was thought to prevent injury through accident, prevent blindness, by placing on the eyes or ground into a slave and as a powder. It was ingested to cure stomach disorders, internal bleeding, and stings from snakes and scorpions.

The turquoise stones' colors could forecast the good or bad, predict the weather and influence dreams. It was good for almost any ailment including insanity. The color of turquoise can vary from deep blue to deep green with every variation in between. Generally the more copper in the molecule, the bluer the turquoise. Iron in the stone makes it greener. More moisture will also cause turquoise to turn greener in color.

The Aztecs mined turquoise in an area now known as New Mexico and a significant amount of turquoise comes from Arizona, California and Nevada in the United States. Turquoise has been of interest to even early man. In the Western hemisphere, the stone was found in the burial sites of prehistoric peoples. Turquoise is known to be popular trade item because it was found hundreds of miles away from the mining sites of New Mexico in Mexico with the Aztecs.




Glossary