Turquoise is the one of the official birth stones for the month of December and the Planetary stone for Aquarius, Taurus and Sagittarius.
The name Turquoise is apparently related to the fact that is was brought to
Europe from the Eastern Mediterranean by Levantine traders, more commonly known
as Turks.
Its been used as a valuable ornament for ages and was used by
the Egyptians thousands of years ago. The colour is, of course, Turquoise,
but its range of colour varies from green and greenish blue to sky blue shades.
For centuries, the most valuable Turquoise came from Iran (Persia) but today
some specimens mined in the south-western United States compete with it. The name
"Persian Turquoise" is now generally used to refer to any Turquoise stone that
does not have the black or brown veining commonly found in Turquoise mined in
the United States and used in a style of jewelry created by the American
Indians.
The Aztecs mined Turquoise in an area now known as New Mexico and a significant
amount of Turquoise comes from Arizona, California and Nevada in the United
States.
Other minerals like chrysocolla have been used to imitate Turquoise.
Turquoise is often dyed and stabilized with resins to produce a harder stone
which retains its colour and polish. Reconstituted Turquoise is made from
small chips and "chalk" to which dyes and plastic resin is added. Pure
Turquoise is a relatively soft stone ranging between 5 and 6 on the
Mohs scale
of hardness.
Legend and Healing Properties
Turquoise attracts money, success and love. Its powers include protection,
healing, courage, friendship, and luck. Relaxes the mind, and eases mental
tension.
Turquoise is sacred to many Native American's and was carved in the shape of
animals and birds. These carvings were placed in the Indians tombs to
attract beneficial spirits and to guard the dead. Turquoise was also used
by medicine men for healing and by warriors who fixed Turquoise to the end of
their bows to insure accurate shots.
