Introduction To Turquoise

The most legendary of all the stones, the Turquoise crystal has reached rock star status in the world of healing minerals. Its dazzling blue-green shade made an appearance in ancient Egypt around 6000 BCE where it was incorporated into protective amulets and royal bling for the likes of King Tut and Cleopatra. One of the first gemstones to be mined, the Turquoise crystal meaning was considered a sacred stone by the Native Americans, who used it as a powerful healing tool for creating a connection between heaven and Earth. On a cellular level, this all-in-one stone is considered a master healer because it promotes an energetic flow of the highest vibration of love, the spiritual super food to heal the world. Turquoise Meaning In crystal healing, the Turquoise crystal stone meaning is associated with personal protection, making it a popular protective shield for ancient warriors heading out into battle. The bright and stunning hue of the Turquoise crystal has been discovered in the ceremonial masks and battle gear of the Aztecs, a tribe that revered this decorative stone for its ability to provide personal protection against negative forces. In the case of the ancients, it served as a bodyguard against invading marauders and other challenges of antiquity. According to Persian legend, the Turquoise crystal stone was believed to bring good luck when it reflected the light of the new moon. A protective stone used for thousands of years, Turquoise is the spiritual balm to a heart that’s been chapped by old emotional wounds and chronic stress. Modern life might not be a Game of Thrones episode, but it does have its share of eyebrow-raising moments. Wherever you happen to be on your journey, let Turquoise be your welcome oasis in a spiritual desert, a stone with energetic vibrations linked to the life-giving elements of water and air. French for the word ‘Turkish,’ the Turquoise crystal meaning became well known across the continents, thanks to the ancient trade routes of the Silk Road, which brought this valuable stone from Turkey to Western Europe. Turquoise quickly became the toast of Europe, making its way into royal lineage that can be traced back to Marie-Louise and her royal tiara, a wedding gift from her husband Napoleon I. Turquoise Healing Properties Here’s an interesting historical tidbit: The vibrant and distinctive colors of the Turquoise crystal stone adds a pop of color to decorative facades of holy sites, including the Taj Mahal in India. Ranging in shades of blue-green depending on its copper and iron content, the Turquoise crystal meaning is the brilliant color that evokes the image of dazzling waters surrounding an island paradise. Similar to Emerald, this crystal symbolizes the oceans that flood the earth’s surface. But what makes this stone stand out is its natural pattern of spider webbing, a striking visual effect thanks to deposits of iron oxides. Turquoise Properties Bring Turquoise to the party and always have a wingman that’s got your back. Just like Quartz and its ability to power electronics and watches, Turquoise crystal healing properties are programmable, which allows you the opportunity to rock at your highest vibration by setting specific healing intentions. A good luck charm for health and abundance, use Turquoise to realign your energy centers, helping clear the path to a higher consciousness. Enjoy the therapeutic benefits of tranquility and calm when you enhance the effects of Turquoise crystal properties by incorporating it into your daily meditation. With this magical stone, always stay connected to the healing energy of water, the life-giving element that sustains the planet and the origins of life itself. Simply by gazing at the stone and saying positive affirmations, such as “I am healed,” keep Turquoise close by and use it to help unlock the infinite possibilities of the universe. Eye-catching and vibrant, Turquoise jewelry adds a pop of color to your outfit, bringing a welcome brightness to a basic, everyday wardrobe. It also lifts the spirits and promotes well-being by energizing all chakra centers. Look fabulous and heal the heart. That’s a 2-in-1-fashion statement we can get behind. If Turquoise has found its way into your life, it’s a sign that you’re in need of its healing powers. Like a multi-vitamin for your soul, the Turquoise crystal is a gem when it comes to giving you a charismatic glow that comes from a renewed sense of self-confidence. Wear a necklace made of Turquoise by your heart and feel the healing effects of its positive, life-affirming vibes. The color of a vacation paradise and its stunning waters, Turquoise is a beautiful reminder of your happy place, a spiritual lullaby to soothe any emotional storms that might blow through your world. Meditate with the Turquoise healing properties and enter a peaceful state of relaxation when you dreamily float down its proverbial river of tranquility. Turquoise is found in only a few places on earth: dry and barren regions where acidic, copper-rich groundwater seeps downward and reacts with minerals that contain phosphorus and aluminum. The result of this sedimentary process is a porous, semitranslucent 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, 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, mediumtoned, sky blue. People value turquoise highly for its combination of ancient heritage and unforgettable color. The traditional source for the top color, sometimes described as robin’s-egg blue or sky blue, is the Nishapur district of Iran, the country formerly known as Persia. So, quite often, you’ll hear people in the trade call turquoise of this beautiful color “Persian blue,” whether or not it was actually mined in Iran. Top-quality turquoise has inspired designers to create elegant jewelry. Its most often cut into cabochons, but it might also be cut into beads or flat pieces for inlays. Although much turquoise jewelry is sleek and modern, many US consumers are familiar with the traditional jewelry of Native American peoples such as the Pueblo, Hopi, Zuni, and Navajo. People interested in Native American arts and crafts frequently collect this stylized silver jewelry. 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. 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 also affect durability. Turquoise is fairly soft—it ranks 5 to 6 on the Mohs scale. Turquoise with a coarse texture might have poor toughness, too. Samples with finer texture have fair to good toughness. In turquoise, 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 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. They’re 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 spiderweb 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 spiderweb matrix rank second in value. Turquoise is one of the world’s most ancient gems. Archaeological excavations revealed that the rulers of ancient Egypt adorned themselves with turquoise jewelry, and Chinese artisans were carving it more than 3,000 years ago. Turquoise is the national gem of Tibet, and has long been considered a stone that guarantees health, good fortune, and protection from evil. The gem’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 material probably first arrived in Europe from Turkish sources. Turquoise was a ceremonial gem and a medium of exchange for Native American tribes in the southwestern US. They also used it in their jewelry and amulets. The Apaches believed that turquoise attached to a bow or firearm increased a hunter’s or warrior’s accuracy. Turquoise is plentiful and available in a wide range of sizes. It’s used for beads, cabochons, carvings, and inlays. Although well known to consumers, its popularity in the mainstream jewelry industry comes and goes. The biggest and most permanent market is in the American Southwest. It’s also popular elsewhere, among customers who are captivated by that region’s mystery and romance, as well as by the blue of its skies. In the United States, turquoise is one of the birthstones for December.