I shared a lot of turquoise gemstone tips and tidbits with you in the last few posts. Wonder where I found all this juicy information? Books of course! I love to read and learn from books. especially the kind I can hold in my hand and physically turn pages. Would you like to learn more about turquoise? Here are the books I referenced. The book shown above is a series of … [Read more...]
Care and Feeding for Turquoise Jewelry
We've covered a lot of 'turquoise' ground over the last few weeks. Previous blogs told us about the legends surrounding this gem, the origin of the name, locations where turquoise is mined, colors or turquoise.. and lots more. Now it's time to learn a few do's and dont's to take care of your precious turquoise jewelry ! Turquoise is a porous stone. Even if it has … [Read more...]
Visions of Turquoise Dance in my Head..
Turquoise for the most part is quite porous. This means it is vulnerable to chipping or fading over time. Some of the earlier turquoise mined in Persia was more stable but sadly those mines are depleted. What is done to protect the stones so we can wear our jewelry without worry? The primary processes are: Stabilized Turquoise: The rough material is soaked in an … [Read more...]
Turquoise Legends and Lore
Here is the 3rd in a series of posts about turquoise gemstones. Today I am going to share many of the legends and lore associated with this gemstone. Let's get started! Did you know? Turquoise is considered a protective stone. It was used to protect both horse and rider on long journeys.In South and Central America, the Aztecs, Incas and the Mayans wore turquoise in … [Read more...]
Tantalizing Turquoise
Here is the 2nd in a series of posts about turquoise. The cuff shown here features a bright blue turquoise gem from the Bisbee, Arizona mine. I am sure you have seen many types of turquoise stones over the years. The colors vary from blue/green to deeper blue. What is the reason for the different hues? It all depends upon what other minerals are found with the particular … [Read more...]