Natural Turquoise Beads
Turquoise beads are a hydrated copper aluminum phosphate, the opaque sky blue to green stone that has been mined and worn for more than 5,000 years. The color comes from copper, shading toward green where iron is present. This collection holds natural turquoise in a range of finishes and shapes for bracelets, necklaces and earrings.
Appearance
Color runs from a pale robin's egg blue through medium sky blue to blue-green and apple green, and single strands often shade from one to the other. Matrix, the brown or black veining of the host rock, ranges from none to a dense spiderweb, and no 2 beads match.
A polished finish gives turquoise a waxy glow; microfaceted beads add a soft sparkle to the opaque surface. Turquoise is porous and relatively soft, 5 to 6 on the Mohs scale, and it will absorb oils, lotion and perfume, which can shift blue toward green over years of wear. Put turquoise jewelry on last, take it off before swimming or washing, wipe it with a dry cloth, and store it away from harder beads and direct sun.
Formation and origin
Turquoise forms in dry climates where rainwater carrying dissolved copper seeps through cracks in aluminum-rich rock, usually near a copper deposit, and precipitates as veins and nodules over millions of years. Copper gives the blue; iron substituting in the structure pushes it toward green; and the matrix is the surrounding host rock. Historic sources include the Sinai, the Nishapur mines of Iran and the American Southwest, including the Kingman and Sleeping Beauty mines in Arizona. Most turquoise on the market today comes from Hubei province in China. African turquoise, despite the name, is a teal jasper with no turquoise in it.
Pairings
Sapphire beads: deep, transparent blue against opaque sky blue, a pairing that works in silver or gold.
African turquoise beads: a teal jasper that matches the green side of turquoise and is harder, so it takes the wear.
Ruby beads: red beside turquoise echoes the coral and turquoise of Tibetan jewelry in a harder, clearer stone.
Meaning and Metaphysical Beliefs
Turquoise has long been a stone of protection and good fortune. Egyptian, Persian, Aztec and Native American cultures all worked it, and Persian riders set it in bridles to guard horse and rider from falls. In crystal traditions it is associated with communication, friendship and calm strength, and it is placed with the throat chakra. It is a birthstone for December. These are traditional beliefs, not claims of physical effect.
