African Turquoise Beads
African turquoise beads are not turquoise at all but a teal-green jasper from Africa, veined with dark brown and black matrix that gives it the look of old turquoise. The name is a trade name that stuck. This collection holds natural African turquoise in a range of finishes and shapes for bracelets, necklaces and earrings.
Appearance
The color sits between green and blue, closer to teal than to the sky blue of true turquoise, and the matrix runs through it in webs, specks and patches that differ from bead to bead. Some strands lean greener, others bluer, and the amount of dark matrix varies with each lot. Polished beads show the matrix in sharp contrast, and faceted cuts add sparkle to a stone that is otherwise opaque. At 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale, it wears well in everyday bracelets, better than true turquoise, which is softer.
Formation and origin
African turquoise is a jasper, a fine-grained quartz colored by the minerals that were present as it formed; here they include copper and chromium compounds that account for the teal. The dark matrix is iron and manganese oxides that filled cracks in the stone. It is mined in southern Africa, and because it is quartz rather than a copper phosphate, it is unrelated to turquoise from Arizona or the Hubei mines, which is the mineral turquoise proper.
Pairings
Kambaba jasper beads: a darker forest green that keeps the whole strand in one earthy family.
Red creek jasper beads: rust, mustard and olive tones that warm the teal without clashing.
Mother of pearl beads: soft white between teal beads lightens the strand and makes the matrix stand out.
Meaning and Metaphysical Beliefs
African turquoise meaning in crystal traditions centers on change, growth and new beginnings, which is why it is often called the stone of evolution. It is associated with openness to new paths and with the third eye and heart chakras. These are traditional beliefs, not claims of physical effect.
