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The Spirit of Turquoise Jewelry

Wearing turquoise jewelry is not a fad or a fashion statement. Wearing turquoise jewelry is a timeless spirit. Like the turquoise stone itself, wearing turquoise jewelry envelopes your body and soul with profound feelings of life, fortune, and healing. Whether you wear turquoise jewelry casually against a bare neck with jeans or more formally against the backdrop of a silky black evening gown, the spiritual turquoise stones wrapped in intricate Native American silver designs will hypnotize all those who cast eyes upon you.

 

Turquoise jewelry has been around since 5500 BC when it was worn by Ancient Egyptians and the Queen Zar. Spider green turquoise jewelry was valued above gold in Tibet and often used as currency. Persians lay claim to the finest turquoise mined anywhere in the world at Nishapur. Early Persians used turquoise jewelry for trading, and it wouldn’t be long before the spiritual stories of turquoise and turquoise jewelry spread throughout the world.

 

Turquoise was thought by many to be associated with every aspect of life itself. Some people believed turquoise jewelry had healing powers strong enough to cure snakebites and prevent blindness and insanity. Early Native American cultures of North and South America believed turquoise jewelry could bring about positive dreams, predict good and bad fortunes, and forecast the weather. The Apache believed attaching turquoise jewelry to a gun would help it shoot straight. Turquoise jewelry was also used in treaty agreements. Even today, many cultures believe the spirit of turquoise jewelry attracts good luck, good health, and good fortune.


Probably the most prominent design of turquoise jewelry, yet the least documented of all designs, has come to be known as The Squash Blossom. Nobody knows where the turquoise jewelry design got its name, but the modern day Squash Blossom design shares its origins with both the Navajo and Zuni Native American cultures.   Yet, it was early non-Indian cultures before 1880 that began using parts of the modern day Squash Blossom design to adorn horses, buildings, and clothes. It was thought by most early Spanish-Mexican settlers that these turquoise jewelry adornments would bring about fertile crops.

 

Turquoise is usually formed in regions with high volcanic or thermal activity and the best turquoise is typically found about 100 feet below the earth’s surface. Turquoise needs copper, aluminum, water and phosphorus to form. Elements like iron, calcium, zinc, magnesium, and silicon help to create the different colors and hardness of turquoise. Rare gem grade turquoise stones can sell for as high as $40 per carat.  Depending on where they were mined Gem grade stones can sell for around $10 to $20 per carat.   High-grade stones targeted for Turquoise jewelry sell for around $5 to $7 per carat.  Most turquoise jewelry is made with investment quality stones at around $2 to $5 per carat, but at this quality level, these softer stones will probably change colors over time.

 

The spirit of turquoise jewelry has been central to Southwestern civilizations for over 2000 years. Its ageless beauty, cultural mystique, and popular Native American designs have made turquoise jewelry timeless. Wear turquoise jewelry anytime, anywhere, with anything, and feel the spirit!