Turquoise is a striking, vibrant gemstone that has captivated audiences for centuries. It’s been around for a long time making quite the impression. Throughout the years, Turquoise has been valued as a source of healing and protection, a very sacred stone. As we look back in history, Kings, Pharaohs and Tribal Leaders have used the sky blue gem to decorate themselves as a way to warn off evil.
Today, Turquoise is primarily used to make beautiful jewellery. We’re honoured to get to know the striking gem so well, handcrafting an extensive range of stunning jewellery.
How Turquoise is Formed?
Turquoise is millions and millions of years old. It is a combination of hydrated copper and aluminium phosphate, formed through hydro-thermal replacement. This process is when chemicals and minerals leak out of rocks after it has rained, reforming in the cracks of alumina-rich, sedimentary, weathered or volcanic rocks. Rhyolite, limestone, quartz or chert are examples of the kind of stones that the chemicals reform in. This usually takes place near to the Earth’s surface but Turquoise can be located at great depths also.
Colour and Matrix Pattern
Every piece of Turquoise is different. The colour can vary dramatically from a radiant sky blue to a more greenish colour. The highly prized shade is the vivid blue however, many do still love the vibrant green too. Turquoise can feature a matrix pattern, which is left behind by the host rock. The pattern colour can also vary greatly with the types of stone of where the piece was formed. If the piece of Turquoise has tan markings it came from sandstone and if it has deep brown blemishes it's come from an iron-rich limonite. Many collectors don’t value gemstones that have the matrix pattern. It all depends on personal preference and taste.
Where is Turquoise Found?
Turquoise is rare, it can only be found in a few places around the world. Turquoise requires dry and barren conditions to form. Iran, Mexico, United States, Afghanistan, China and Irasel are where small deposits of the sky blue gems are located. Many Turquoise mines are becoming depleted and having to close down, which is making the striking gem more difficult to find.
The most even sky blue Turquoise is usually found in mines close to Nishapur in Iran. These iconic mines have produced the finest Turquoise for centuries and remarkably still does. Unfortunately, a lot of it has been depleted.
The Turquoise we use to make our unique jewellery collection comes from the Kingman mine in North Western Arizona. It is recognised as being one of the oldest and largest Turquoise mines in America. The US is another place where many states produce the finest Turquoise but many of the mines are also closing due to depletion. However, those in Nevada and Arizona (where we source our Turquoise) still produce Turquoise. It is the perfect spot to source high quality sky blue gems with the arid conditions and copper rich area.
