Fools Reunited

Turquoise is a hydrous copper aluminum sulfate found in every color of blue, greenish blue or deep green. The rich blues are due to the abundance of copper while green turquoise has more aluminum. It has been mined from at least 6000 BC by early Egyptians. Its history also includes beautiful ornamental creations by Native Americans and Persians.

It is found in Arizona and New Mexico, USA; Australia; Iran; Afghanistan and other places in the Middle East.

In the Orient, a turquoise ring was worn as a protector against all things evil. The Indians of Mexico and the Southwestern United States used turquoise to guard burial sites. To the prehistoric Indian, turquoise, worn on the body or used in ceremonies, always signified the god of the sky alive in the earth, and in that way, it acted as a divining stope.

Turquoise is believed to relax the mind and relieve mental tensions, calming the emotions and easing stress.

‘Pieces of sky.’ That’s how turquoise was called by some Native American tribes. Indeed, it requires no great stretch of the imagination to understand why turquoise was referred to as such. Just as the heavens could be a peaceful or stormy blue, so could turquoise seem to express different moods with its different shades of blue and green. Wearing pieces of sky in a turquoise necklace is a provocative and attractive idea.

Known as the birthstone of December, turquoise can be opaque or translucent, and a turquoise necklace made of beads conveys an iridescent, whimsical effect.

Necklaces made from Persian or Iranian turquoise are the most expensive, since this variety of turquoise is considered to be of the highest quality. However, less expensive varieties are available from Mexican, Chinese, Egyptian and American sources. Turquoise necklaces are popular items in Native American and Southern jewellery collections, but by and large, they have found their way into mainstream culture.