Hope this finds you all well and ready for the Holiday Season!!!
The next few posts I want to discuss a little bit about turquoise jewelry. This time I am going to post a few turquoise facts.
1-- Turquoise is the birthstone for the month of December ( my mother as well as two of my granddaughters are lucky enough to have this as their birthstone). It is also associated with both the fifth and the eleventh wedding anniversaries.
2-- With the dwindling global reserves of turquoise and the supply much less than the growing market demand for turquoise jewelry, prices of turquoise jewelry are expected to escalate in the coming years. Due to this economic dynamic, purchases of high-quality turquoise jewelry pieces can be viewed as an investment in an appreciating asset-much like diamonds or other valuable gems and stones.
3--In the 17th century England, gentlemen would not step out in public without wearing turquoise jewelry. The wearing of turquoise jewelry was considered to be a sign of a well dress gentleman.
4--Considering the millions of years it takes for turquoise to form, you will want to handle your investment with care. Turquoise is a naturally porous gemstone and as a result it can change color if not cared for properly. Cosmetics, perfume, high heat, oils and a lot of direct sunlight can affect the color. It's best to clean your jewelry piece then store it in an airtight bag. Since MOST turquoise is set in sterling silver this will keep the stone protected and the sterling from tarnishing. Who wants to get ready to put your piece on and have to clean it first.
5--In 1810 Napoleon Bonaparte presented his Empress Marie Louise with a wedding gift --a breathtaking crown of diamonds and turquoise. Originally the crown was made up of diamonds and emeralds, but Napoleon arranged to have all 79 emeralds removed and replaced with turquoise prior to giving the crown to Marie Louise.
6--This gemstone has been mined for thousands of years by various cultures, with evidence suggesting that the ancient Egyptians mined turquoise as far back as 6000 B.C. In modern day, turquoise is mined in a number of places including the US, Iran, China and Tibet.
7--Turquoise is formed , over a span of millions of years, by a chemical reaction that occurs when water leaks through rocks which specific minerals such as copper and aluminum. The percentages of those various minerals in the rock dictate the gemstone's shade.
These are just a few facts about this fantastic stone.
Thanks for dropping in on us.
Gayla
3 comments:
What is it about turquoise that you love so much?
Dear Anonymous,
I honestly can't tell you that. I am a true jewelry lover but love the substance turquoise brings to jewelry. Could be my Native American heritage, or the fact no to pieces are ever identical due to the stone composition.
Guess it could be as simple as the bright color.
Not sure but over the years I have acquired many pieces and not sure I could pick a favorite.
Thanks for visiting us.
Gayla
The history of turquoise jewelry dates back all the way to ancient Turkistan and regions of Caucasus in the 3rd century A.D., and is thus more commonly known as "Persian Turquoise". This name also applies to those gems mined in the United States, as long as they have no traces of brown or black veining on them. Because turquoise is a hydrous phosphate of copper, it's actually is very soft - topping 6 on Mohs scale - yet it still can take a good polishing.
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