Ancient and yet always at the height of current fashion: that is Turquoise for you. Its brilliant sky-blue belongs to the all-time favourite trend colours in the world of fashion and jewellery.

In many cultures of the Old and New World this gemstone has for thousands of years been appreciated as a holy stone, a good-luck-charm or a talisman. It is a virtual "peoples' gemstone”. The oldest proof for this lies in Egypt, from the period around 3000 B.C. History of Turquoise Some say that in the thirteenth century, turquoise was named in the mistaken belief that it came from Turkey. That may be true or it may be that the name comes from the Persian word for turquoise, firouze, since Persia has been a major source of this gemstone for thousands of years. In any case, the blue of this gemstone is so vivid and distinct that it has given its name to the color. Turquoise is one of the oldest known gem materials. The Egyptians were mining turquoise in 3,200 BC in the Sinai. The blue of turquoise was thought to have powerful metaphysical properties by many ancient cultures. Montezuma's treasure, now displayed in the British Museum, includes a fantastic carved serpent covered by a mosaic of turquoise. In ancient Mexico, turquoise was reserved for the gods, it would not be worn by mere mortals. The Apache believed that turquoise helped warriors and hunters to aim accurately. The Zuni beleved that it protected them from demons. In Asia it was considered protection against the evil eye. Tibetans carved turquoise into ritual objects as well as wearing it in traditional jewelry. Ancient manuscripts from Persia, India, Afghanstan, and Arabia report that the health of a person wearing turquoise can be assessed by variations in the color of the stone. Turquoise was also thought to promote prosperity. In Europe even today, turquoise rings are given as forget-me-not gifts.

Turquoise will protect and let you enjoy life
In earlier times Turquoises were sometimes thought responsible for the material wealth of their bearers. For example, Persian philosopher Al Kazwini wrote: "The hand wearing a Turquoise and using it as a sealing stone, will never be poor.” Turquoises were loved as ornaments decorating turbans, often set in a border of pearls, in order to protect the wearer from the "evil eye”.
They were used as talismans decorating daggers, scimitars or the horses' bridles. Turquoise came to Europe only during the time of the crusades. And from this period comes the name "Turquoise”, meaning simply "Turkish stone”.

Also in South, Middle and North America Turquoise has always been enjoying a special position among gemstones. For example, the ancient Aztecs in Northern Peru used to decorate their ceremonial masks with this stone, a "holy stone” in their belief. The North American Indians, who are still producing quite a few pieces of traditional silver jewellery set with Turquoises today, believed that the gemstone the colour of the sky would establish a direct connection between the sky and the lakes.

At all times in history Turquoise was worn as protection to ward off the influence of dark and evil powers. In former times thought to protect riders and horses from accidental falls, they are nowadays considered the ideal good-luck stones for aviators, flight staff and other professions which need special assistance to ward off accidents.

In the contemporary teachings of the Healing Power of Stones, wearing Turquoise is recommended to solve the problems caused by a depressed outlook on life. The bright and happy colour is supposed to lend self-confidence to subdued personalities, and it is also very popular as a token of friendship, since Turquoise is reputed to be responsible for faithfulness and reliable relationships.

Generally,turquoise can exist in one of two forms. Natural or virgin turquoise has simply been shaped and polished, and has not been treated in any way. Natural turquoise is often the most desirable,it is very valuable.Treated turquoise has been changed through addition or processing. This procedure will make the sensitive gemstone sturdier.It is not considered as valuable as natural untreated product, and when cut it will not yield the natural turquoise inside. 

A mong the ways of treating turquoise, treatments can include wax , staining , plastics impregnation , or colloidal silica deposition . These methods stabilize the turquoise, and when successful, they darken the color and fill in the pores in the stone..However, the kind of treatment differs considerably and the price of these treated stones are drop dramatic compare with the natural stone only being basic polisedh and waxed.

Some saleer state that "stabilized" or treated turquoise doesn't mean the lower of the stone. in fact all these stabilized, staining , plastics impregnation , or colloidal silica deposition stone are all been reduced to the catgory of artifical .the value of this artifical" stone" can not compare the value with natural turquoise from any point. so keep these in mind when purches a turquoise.

:: Wax will lend Turquoise resistance

Turquoises are relatively soft gemstones and thus quite sensitive. Since the colour may also fade out in the course of wearing, today even the top qualities receive a waxing and subsequent hardening treatment. This procedure will make the sensitive gemstone sturdier. It is just to add a layer of colourless wax on the surface of the Turquoise so as to prevent the Turquoise from oils and other chemicals to some extent and to increase the fineness of the Turquoise.The waxed Turquoise which have excellent original colour and hardness,can reach the requirement of gem-grade. So this type of Turquoise are indeed natural ones which are very rare and rather expensive.

:: "reconstructed” Turquoises
There three ways to artificially "reconstructed” Turquoises, Plastics impregnation , Resin or Hardness enhancement Turquoises which have been sealed with artificial resin are also available in large amounts and at competitive prices. Their colour appears fresh, and they show a high resistance. But one should be careful, because many of these stones have been additionally dipped in colour before being sealed, and this colouring is a kind of treatment which according to the rules set down by ICA must be indicated. In addition, there are also so-called "reconstructed” Turquoises, which have been assembled from pulverised Turquoise.

SO !! Valuable Turquoise jewellery should therefore best be purchased from a jeweller you can trust

:: Plastics impregnation , or Hardness enhancement:

Turquoises are reasonably soft and porous.Most of natural Turquoise is hard to cut and treat so that we can't use them as gemstone. The plastics impregnation is to osmose the hot colourless plastics to Turquoises, thus filling the holes with it completely. After that, the hardness of the Turquoises can be raised so that it can be cut and polished. At present most of the Turquoise on the market have been treated in this way. Although we use this method to increase the hardness of the Turquoise, we won't change the colour and the Matrix of the Turquoise,so the Turquoise treated in that way are relatively approved by consumers and Market.

:: Staining or Color enhancement,:

This type of turquoise called “chalk”is rather cheap.Chalk is the lowest of the Turquoises of the low grades.This Kind of Turquoise is so soft that if you would like to use it to make murals on the side walk, you could do it easily. In order to make chalk cut-able and usable, people can subject them to various chemical and hardening processes.Because this kind of Turquoie are processed by deep dyeing, we can't tell the original shape of the treated Turquoise.Generally speaking, the staining process and plastics impregnation are operated on the Turquoise at the same time. After going through staining, the Turquoise chalk will look like natural Turquoise very much, but the value of the Turquoise can hardly equal the natural Turquosie. We would rather call them “plastics” than call them “the Turquoise”.

How to indicate the Natural and Treated Turquoise?

General observation, which is the first step in testing any gem, reveals an unnatural color and usual luster not typical for better-quality untreated turquoise. The lower specific gravity would also indicate the turquoise might have been treated. To conclude that the turquoise has been wax-, paraffin-, or plastic-impregnated, a “hot point” is employed. It should be noted, however, that hot-point testing rarely works on plastic-impregnated stones and should be used with considerable caution when plastic treatment is suspected. A “hot point” can be an electrically heated point, such as a wax modeling tool, a soldering iron, or a red-hot needle. The “hot point” is brought close to, but does not touch, the surface of the turquoise. Easily seen under magnification, the wax or paraffin liquefies and flows ahead of the needle. To try to detect whether the turquoise has been treated with plastic, the “hot point” must come in contact with the surface of the stone in an inconspicuous spot. This test will leave a burn mark on the stone's surface. In a positive test, the plastic emits an odor that is acrid, similar to burning plastic. It is important to remember that lack of a reaction does not necessarily mean that the stone has not been plastic-impregnated. It merely means that advanced testing using infrared spectroscopy is required.

Y ou can also tell if you have a piece of natural turquoise by looking at it under a loupe. By looking at a piece of turquoise under a loupe you will be able to see the pores of the stone.
Stabilized fack stone will look smooth and un-porous, and sometimes little gaps will be filled in with clear glass or quartz looking material. You must take into consideration though that some turquoise does contain quartz which takes an amazing polish with little effort. Some pieces, just being rubbed, will begin to polish. So remember that polish or deep color is not a full proof indicator of stabilization. A full proof way of ensuring is buying from a turquoise dealer that you trust. Shop around and get to know who you are dealing with. When in doubt get samples and have them tested by a lab, that is a definite full proof way to prove what you are getting. 
A lso ask questions from many people who buy turquoise, read books and get educated! Be a wise consumer and perhaps that will force those dishonest dealers to straighten up!

Valuable Turquoise jewellery should best be purchased from a jeweller you can trust.

The main Mine In USA

N evada.--Nevada has been a major producer of turquoise since the 1930's, and until the early 1980's, the State was the largest producer in the United States. It is estimated that over the years, 75 to 100 different mines/prospects produced sizable quantities of turquoise. Production varied from a few thousand dollars worth of material at some of the properties to more than a million dollars at others. 

N ew Mexico.--Until the 1920's, New Mexico was the United States largest producer of turquoise. However, since then Arizona and Nevada has surpassed it in terms of both annual and total production. 
Production of turquoise from deposits in the Cerrillos Hills, Santa Fe County; the Burro Mountains and Little Hachita Mountains, Grant County; the Jarilla Hills, Otero County; and the Guadelupe Mountains, Eddy County; can be traced to prehistoric Indians. Several different mines operate or have operated at each of the New Mexico locations mentioned, producing seam and nugget turquoise.

A rizona.--In Arizona turquoise ranks first in terms of value of production and is also the best known of its gem materials. As stated earlier, nearly all important deposits of turquoise are located near copper occurrences or in copper deposits in arid desert regions of the world. Thus, the world famous turquoise deposits associated with certain of the large Arizona copper deposits are to be expected. Turquoise is or has been mined from a number of these copper mines as a byproduct, usually by outside contractors. 

The Main Mine In China -SUIYANG MINE. SHIYAN MINE, ZHUXI MINE

SUIYANG MINE, SHIYAN MINE,, ZHUXI MINE ARE THE MOST FAMOUS TURQUOISE MINES IN CHINA.

Color varied from light to dark green, greenish-blue, bluish-green, paler blue shades, and fine sky-blue. Much of the material was spiderwebbed with thin veinlets of limonite.

C hinese people extremely cherish the jade, but they know little about Turqoise. By2000, they had never paid great attention to Turs, besause of it's a little amount of Output, backward technique of processing, and developing economy. However, in recent years, as time passes by, the Chinese jewelry Market is increasingly becoming prosperous, so people are aware of the value of Turquoise's decoration, collection and storing step by step. However, nowadays in respect of Chinese Turquoise Market,firstly because the Chinese government hasn't been able to organize and administrate effectively,more than two hurdued Mines enterprises and over four hundred processing factories can be found in the whole place where Turquoise are produced in China.Meanwhile most of these enterprises have backward skill of production and processing and a huge amount of resource has been wasted. Secondly all of them aren't aware of the importance of brand,so Chinese Turquoise hasn't been well known on international Market.Thirdly the Turquoise market has got out of control,so prompted by the business profits,many people has dumped man-made Turquoise into the market,thus damaging the consumers' interest,and reputation of Chinese Turquoise on international market seriously. Fortunately, more and more people are realizing the serious situation so that they will make great effort to change it .It is believed that a growing number of people will know much about the Chinese Turquoise properly.

• Don't put the Turquoise near the furnace or the place radiated by strong light.

• Don't put the Turquoise in the airtight places, the Turquoise require fresh and moist air, must take them out every several days, otherwise, the color of Turquoise will easily turn green or fade.

• The rigidity of Turquoise is only 5.0 to 6.0, so don't put them beside other harder jewelry lest the Turquoise should be scraped. The best choice is to put them in small hop-pocket or brocade bag.

• Don't wear the Turquoise jewelry when swimming or bathing lest the jewelry should be dropped or change color.

• Prevent the Turquoise from contacting such chemical materials as sweat, oil, soy sauce and vinegar, cosmetic, pigments so as not to corrupt the surface of Turquoise, tarnish the luster and spot the surface.

• Wipe the Turquoise by soft cloth when not wear the Turquoise. If the Turquoise spotted, they should be cleaned by medium scour, rinsed by fresh water and reserved after air dry.

A piece of sky in your hands

The best Turquoise quality shows a clear and light sky-blue. The colour is highly appreciated, with or without the fine regular spider web lines. The quality decreases with the increase of green in colour, and the increase of spots and irregularities in the spider web.

Turquoise should be protected from cosmetics, heat and bright daylight. The gemstone does not really appreciate sunbathing. It is recommended to clean it from time to time after wearing with a soft cloth.
The colour of a Turquoise will make you feel happy and relaxed, for it combines the light blue of the sky with the invigorating green of the seas. It is so unique that the language took the stones' very name to describe it: Turquoise. So if you decide on a Turquoise, you will hold a piece of the sky in your hands.

The blue from copper, the green from iron

Turquoise is a copper aluminium phosphate achieving hardness six, thus considerably softer than quartz. It occurs naturally in all shades ranging from sky-blue to grey-green, usually in such locations where copper is hidden in the soil in high concentrations. However, only the best quality Turquoises show the real turquoise colour, which in ordinary stones is normally rather pale, blue-green or greenish. The blue colour is caused by copper, while the green colour is caused by iron or chromium. Often the material is veined or shows spots, which depending on the respective occurrence are brown, light grey or even black. These vivid, more or less regular patterns are called the spider web. The micro-crystals are really tiny and almost not discernible with the bare eye. Usually turquoise occurs as encrustation, in veins or as nodules or nuggets. The most famous occurrences are situated in the USA, Mexico, Israel, Iran, Afghanistan and China. The most beautiful of Turquoises in wonderful light blue are found in Northern Iran.

Turquoise is only rarely facetted. Usually it is shaped as cabochons or as beads, or even given a fancy cut.