Turquoise or turquoise is an opaque, blue-green mineral, which is a hydrous phosphate of aluminum and copper. It is rare and has been considered an ornamental and precious stone for thousands of years due to its unique hue. Recently, turquoise has lost some of its value due to imitations and synthetically produced turquoise. A common imitation is painted howlite. The mineral has had many different names throughout history. The current name dates back to the 16th century and comes from the old French word turquoise, which means Turkish, because European traders of the Middle Ages bought turquoise in the Turkish bazaars, where it had arrived from Persia. Pliny the Elder refers to it as callais, meaning good stone, and in ancient Greece it was known as kallaitis or callais stone. It is known since ancient times. In Egypt it has been used since at least 3000 BC. Tutankhamun's death mask and rings found in his tomb are turquoise. Other cultures that used turquoise were the Aztecs, Persians, Mesopotamians, Indus Valley Civilizations, and to a lesser extent the Chinese from at least the time of the Shang Dynasty (2nd millennium BC). All ancient civilizations have used it for carving, amulets and jewelry. Even today turquoise is used by Native Americans as a base for making jewelry, a legacy from the Aztecs. In the so-called West, turquoise began to be used in the 14th century, with the decline of the influence of the Catholic Church. In India there are no examples of it being known before the Mughal Empire and in Japan it became known in the 18th century. There was a great demand for turquoise in the 1960s, later the demand fell and rose again and today it is considered a precious stone. Turquoise is one of the first gemstones to be mined. Now many of the historical mining sites have been exhausted, but some of them are still in operation, such as mines in Iran, near the city of Nissapur. This particular mine has been operating for 2,000 years and still produces the best quality turquoise, while a mine in the Sinai Peninsula closed in recent years after 3,000 years of continuous operation. Major sources of turquoise today are found in the southwestern United States and in China. A translucent variety of turquoise crystal, unique in the world, is mined in Virginia, USA.
Energy healing properties:
Turquoise also provides an initial external protection. However, it then provides inner protection as it dissipates any tendencies to “give in” and enhances strength and courage to take matters into one’s own hands. In this way it is has a more comprehensive effect than Serpentine. Turquoise works best as a pendant or a necklace worn on the solar plexus, though not for too long in order to avoid it becoming too much of a habit.
Forms:
raw stone (lump), (drilled) tumbled stone, bracelet, necklace, pendant, gemstone, gem essence and gem water.
