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Magazine 58F
Turquoise on your vintage jewelry
History and mining of turquoise
Turquoise meaning Stone of Turkey only exists in a few places in the world. It is generally found in dry environments such as the deserts of Asia and the Middle East in China, Turkey and Iran. It is also the national stone of Tibet, a country where it is recognized for its virtues of good health and prosperity.
This stone is also important on the American continent: among the Aztecs, the Mayans and the Indians, turquoise was very present on ceremonial objects in the form of mosaics.
The oldest discovery of turquoise dates back more than 6000 years ago, to the time of the Egyptians. Turquoise is found on many objects from the first dynasty of the Pharaohs, the best-known example is the mask of Tutankhamun encrusted with this stone.
This stone arrived later in Europe during the Crusades and then in France during the 16th century.
A unique light blue on vintage turquoise jewelry
Turquoise is an intense blue stone, a sky blue color that can vary towards a blue-green due to the presence of copper and iron. When the stone is dotted with brown, gray or black clouds, it is called a “matrix”.
The color of this stone can change, when heated to 250°C the blue color becomes green but also with light, oils, cosmetic products and fatty products.
Some notions of gemmology:
Turquoise belongs to hydrated copper and aluminum phosphate, the hardness of this stone depends on its chemical composition and origin. It has a density varying from 2.3 to 2.85 and a hardness varying from 4 to 6 on the Mohs scale.
A gem that is adorned with different virtues and benefits:
In lithotherapy, turquoise is said to:
- Fights eye problems
- Relieves nasal passages and mucous membranes
- Stimulates the heart and throat
- Purifies the blood
- Removes toxins from the body and excess acidity
- Calms muscle pain, colds, migraines and headaches
- Helps protect the spines, bronchi, from arthritis and asthma.
Vintage and trendy
Turquoise as an ornament on jewelry has been used since ancient times following archaeological excavations in Egypt, when the tomb of Tutankhamun was discovered. This intense blue is then observed during Art Nouveau andArt Deco, to this day it is a trend present in our jewelry particularly during the summer season.
And did you know that the Tiffany & Co gemologist hypothesized that the blue which characterizes its boxes, emblematic of the entire brand, comes from the popularity of turquoise when Tiffany & Co began to use this color in 1878?
Discover all our jewelry adorned with turquoise as well as our jewelry Tiffany.