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Turquoise

Turquoise
  • Translations : Turchese, Turkis, Türkiis, Türkis, Türkiz, Turkoois, Turkoosi, Turkos, Turkuaz, Turkus, Turquesa, Tyrkys, Ngọc lam, فيروز, فیروزه, 土耳其玉概说, トルコ石, Бирюза, טורקיז, फीरोजा़
  • Etymology : "Of Turkey". The Turquoise did not result from deposits in Turkey, but passed in transit there, resulting from Iran (Persia) before reaching Europe.
  • Discovery: 1678 by Tavernier
  • Type localityLynch-Station, Virginie, USA

The turquoise has a typical blue color which gave its name to the "turquoise blue" color.
She can also have green tints, and be included by black veins. But the quality most estimate is a uniform blue color, without inclusion

The Turquoise can see its green color deteriorating in blue under the influence of outer agents such as certain flavors.

Unfortunately, the Turquoise is a very often handled stone.

Among several processings, the most common is the impregnation: we dip the stone which is porous in an artificial resin (often colored) to make it glossier harder and more colored. Certain "stones" are going to be some powder which is going to be compacted to look like the Turquoise. Very well-made synthetic materials are very often met on the market. It is very hard today to find of the good quality natural Turquoise, and difficult to differentiate well the " forgery of the truth ".

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Legends

Because of his journey through the time, many legends were born to explain the mysteries of the Turquoise. This stone was very important for many peoples as Egyptians, Iranians, Tibetans, the Incas, Aztecs, and the Amerindians. It is of the latter that reached us most legends.

In the Apache tribe, it was thought that if we dug at the foot of a rainbow, we could find of the Turquoise and what if we carried it in the bow it made invincible and helped to aim well.

Another legend tells that one day a leader in the blue skin avoided his enemies through the desert. Every time he stopped, beads of sweat fell on the ground and by mixing in the earth became of the Turquoise.

One of these most beautiful legends tells that the Native Americans danced and were delighted because the rain arrived finally. Their tears of joy, mixed in the rain infiltrated into the Earth-mother to become of the Turquoise.

To know more about the mineralogy of the Turquoise, see mindat.org->

Gemological data

  • Chemical formula : CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8·4H2O
  • Hardness (Mohs) : 5 - 6
  • Density : 2.6 - 2.9
  • Refractive index : 1.61 / 1.65
  • Crystal system : Triclinic
  • Group : Phosphate

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