The birth stone of December is turquoise, a show-stopping blue stone which has been capturing eyes and hearts for milliennia. Wearing the birthstone associated with your birthday is believed to create good fortune and protection, and what better way to wear it than in a gorgeous turquoise bracelet or necklace, hand crafted and finished in Sterling silver or 9ct gold.
Turquoise is made from hydrated copper aluminium phosphate and it occurs in which are rich in aluminium. Literally translated it means “Turkish”, a nod to its history when Levantine traders shipped the jewel to Europe via Turkey. Turquoise is among the very few opaque precious gems, giving it a distinctive deep-pigmented colour which can range from green to sky blue depending on its make-up, with or without black veins running across the stone known as its matrix. Bright blue is considered the most desired form of the gem stone, a popular colour in fashion and jewellery. Turquoise and blue topaz are the birthstones of December, and Turquoise is additionally the traditional jewel for those celebrating their 6th or 11th wedding anniversaries.
Turquoise was among the first semi-precious stones to be excavated, mainly within the Sinai region of Egypt, Iran, and the United States and Mexico. Having been mined since as long ago as 3,000 BC, understandably resources of the mineral is running low. This has resulted in imitation gemstones becoming popular in modern jewellery, leading to a higher worth placed on real turquoise.
Turquoise has a history rivalled by no other jewel. The mummy of Queen Zer, the ancient Eqyptian monarch, was found decorated in vivid turquoise bracelets when she was discovered in 1900. She had chosen the precious stone to wear for 7,500 years. And think about the iconic gold death mask of Tutankhamen: it too is set with precious turquoise gems.
The reason for its historical prominence is that turquoise has been highly respected by a great number of ancient societies who considered it posessed powerful metaphysical qualities. In Asia the precious stone was believed to protect from the evil eye, and the Aztecs reserved the stone for the Gods in religious masks. In the sixteenth century American Indians thought that turquoise embodied the spirits of the ocean and skies, using it as a type of exchange and also to bring good luck and protection to soldiers and hunters.
Even nowadays turquoise is seen as having protective properties. In modern gemstone therapy it is believed to increase self confidence and relieve depressive disorders, stomach problems, viral infections and rheumatism. If given as a gift turquoise is considered a sign of friendship. Whether you believe in these superstitions or not, it is hard not to see the beauty which this eye-catching stone posesses.
Turquoise is made from hydrated copper aluminium phosphate and it occurs in which are rich in aluminium. Literally translated it means “Turkish”, a nod to its history when Levantine traders shipped the jewel to Europe via Turkey. Turquoise is among the very few opaque precious gems, giving it a distinctive deep-pigmented colour which can range from green to sky blue depending on its make-up, with or without black veins running across the stone known as its matrix. Bright blue is considered the most desired form of the gem stone, a popular colour in fashion and jewellery. Turquoise and blue topaz are the birthstones of December, and Turquoise is additionally the traditional jewel for those celebrating their 6th or 11th wedding anniversaries.
Turquoise was among the first semi-precious stones to be excavated, mainly within the Sinai region of Egypt, Iran, and the United States and Mexico. Having been mined since as long ago as 3,000 BC, understandably resources of the mineral is running low. This has resulted in imitation gemstones becoming popular in modern jewellery, leading to a higher worth placed on real turquoise.
Turquoise has a history rivalled by no other jewel. The mummy of Queen Zer, the ancient Eqyptian monarch, was found decorated in vivid turquoise bracelets when she was discovered in 1900. She had chosen the precious stone to wear for 7,500 years. And think about the iconic gold death mask of Tutankhamen: it too is set with precious turquoise gems.
The reason for its historical prominence is that turquoise has been highly respected by a great number of ancient societies who considered it posessed powerful metaphysical qualities. In Asia the precious stone was believed to protect from the evil eye, and the Aztecs reserved the stone for the Gods in religious masks. In the sixteenth century American Indians thought that turquoise embodied the spirits of the ocean and skies, using it as a type of exchange and also to bring good luck and protection to soldiers and hunters.
Even nowadays turquoise is seen as having protective properties. In modern gemstone therapy it is believed to increase self confidence and relieve depressive disorders, stomach problems, viral infections and rheumatism. If given as a gift turquoise is considered a sign of friendship. Whether you believe in these superstitions or not, it is hard not to see the beauty which this eye-catching stone posesses.
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