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Turquoise - success, courage, and protection

"The one who chooses turquoise secures a piece of heaven in life on earth” have become a traditional saying. Turquoise has been prized as a gemstone for thousands of years. The turquoise is said to be a holy stone, which removes all negative energy: the strong colour is a symbol of happiness, and the legend tells that turquoise increases one’s self-confidence. Turquoise is the birthstone of December.

The origin and meaning of the gemstone

The name of the gem is apparently related to the fact that it was brought to Europe form the Eastern Mediterraean by Levantine traders, known as the Turks. Turquoise derives from the French word "turqeise", which means Turkish stone  - and could also relate to the fact, that the precious stone were brought through Turkey, from the mines of Khorasan, in Persia.

The Egyptians have been enthusiastic about the gemstone since the first dynasty (3200 BC) and perhaps even earlier. At that time, the largest gems were found in Sinai, and then along the Suez Gulf. This turquoise is a bit greener than the Persian, and some call it the “Egyptian turquoise”.

Although the turquoise has been known and used in jewelry, sophisticated ornaments and sculptures of the Egyptians, Aztecs, Persians and some Chinese dynasties, the gemstone was first introduced to Europe through the establishment of the Silk Road, through Turkey.

Where do I find turquoise?

The most famous occurrences are found in Iran (Khorasan), where turquoise have been extracted and used for the past 2000 years. Iranian palaces are often covered in turquoise, as the intense blue is a symbol of the earthly heavenly - or more precious “heaven on earth”.There are also significant occurrences of turquoise in Israel, and not least in New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California.

The unique characteristics of the gemstone

Turquoise is a sky-blue or greenish translucent to opaque basic aluminum phosphate, containing copper.Turquoise is extracted as secondary material from large copper mines and has a hardness of 5-7 on Mohs' scale and a density of 2.6-2.9.

The content of copper makes the stone blue and the content of iron makes it greener.