Turquoise: the Mineral That Captures the Color of the Sky

     Turquoise is a blue mineral that is found in dry regions of the earth. Turquoise is almost always a shade of greenish-blue (even the name turquoise has become synonymous with this color) but I have heard rumors of a white turquoise, but I don’t know if it really exists. Turquoise can also have black lines running throughout it in uneven patterns. When this happens the stone is called “spider web turquoise.” The shades displayed in turquoise can vary depending on its content of iron or copper (the more iron present the greener the stone will be and the more copper present the bluer the turquoise) Large crystals of turquoise have never been found; instead turquoise is usually found in massive amorphous lumps made up of thousands of tiny grains. Turquoise is light and very fragile and breaks with a conchoidal fracture. When a mineral is said to have a conchoidal fracture it breaks in a pattern that resembles a conch shell. Most minerals that break with this kind of fracture can be made into arrowheads and knives, but turquoise is too soft for this kind of use. Turquoise is also very light.
     Turquoise has been used as a decorative stone since ancient times and is still used for such a purpose today. Decorative stones are used to make jewelry and other decoration, but are not valued as highly as gemstones. Turquoise has been a popular decorative stone for many years. The Aztecs, Navajos, and Persians used it to make jewelry and carvings and the stone was used in Europe as soon as it was brought there via Turkey (the name for turquoise was actually derived from the word Turkish) Today turquoise cabochons make popular settings for silver rings (especially in the western United States where spider web turquoise is very popular) In most places people consider bluer turquoise more desirable than greener pieces.
     Turquoise is found mainly in dry environments such as deserts, therefore most of its sources are arid countries. The oldest known source of turquoise is Iran where turquoise has been mined for over three thousand years. The Aztecs mined their turquoise in the southwestern United States, which is where most of the world’s turquoise comes from today. Turquoise is also found in Mexico, Australia, Chile, and Turkmenistan. Though not a dry area, turquoise can also be found in Cornwall, England.
     Turquoise, thought not as valuable as certain gemstones, is still a beautiful mineral. I like to think that the Lord decided upon its color so as to remind us of the sky on cloudy days!