In North America, turquoise first appeared to be mined and used around 200 B.C. by the Hohokam and Anasazi people. These early Native Indians mined the famous Cerrillos and Burro Mountains of what is
now New Mexico
and in Arizona the Kingman turquoise mine and Morenci turquoise mine.
Why do Native Indians wear turquoise?
Throughout the arid world, native and aboriginal peoples held turquoise in high regard for spiritual reasons. … For some tribes, turquoise represented
strength, skill, or even invincibility
. The Apaches associated turquoise with rain at the end of the rainbow.
Where was turquoise found?
Turquoise has been mined all over North America for hundreds of years, but its richest deposits have always been found primarily in the southwestern states of
Arizona and Nevada
. California has also been a popular source of the opaque blue gemstone over the years, with mines found in San Bernardino and Inyo Counties.
Which Native American tribes used turquoise?
The main tribes who are responsible for most of the turquoise jewelry creation in the past –
the Navajo, Hopi, and Zuni
– have made such an incredible contribution to this art form over the centuries.
Is turquoise found in India?
Where is Turquoise gemstone found? Turquoise being among the oldest gems to be mined are found in Iran, Egypt,
India
, China ,Tibet, Afghanistan, Australia.
At its simplest, turquoise is
simply a bringer of good fortune
. The Navajo would store it in baskets or hang it from the ceilings to ward off evil in the home, and they would surround the exteriors of homes or graves with it for the same reason. Warriors would carry it to battle to ensure strength and protection.
What does Chinese turquoise look like?
Chinese Turquoise ranges in color from
all shades of green, to light blue, to a beautiful dark blue
. Much of the material has a dark brown or black matrix and may also have a beautiful spider webbing. … Mines like the Nevada Blue, Number 8, Blue Ridge and the famous Lander Blue. Yungai or Cloud Mountain is now closed.
What is the rarest turquoise?
Lander Blue Spiderweb Turquoise
is some of the rarest Turquoise on earth and in high demand, Buyers must beware of impersonators, the highest grade of Chinese Spiderweb Turquoise is often sold as Lander Blue Turquoise, it takes an experienced professional to detect true Lander Blue Turquoise.
Where is the best turquoise found?
“The most common places known for good quality turquoise are
Iran (Persia), Egypt, Northwest China, Mexico
and the southwestern part of the United States. Although there can be mines found in many states, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada are the most common places where you will find them.
Can turquoise be worn everyday?
The brilliant coloring of turquoise will add a stunning burst of color to any outfit.
Wear it every day to uplift your mood
, or wear a necklace close to your heart to enjoy its extensive healing and meditative properties. It has also been said that wearing turquoise can increase psychic abilities.
How do you tell real turquoise from fake?
The quickest way to telling a plastic or resin-made imitation is
to take a hot needle or pin to the surface of the stone
. If it begins to melt or produce a burnt plastic smell, it’s either plastic or resin. Simple enough! Trade Names: The biggest kicker to fake turquoise are the trade names that it hides behind.
How can you tell the difference between real turquoise and fake turquoise?
Turquoise is naturally a soft stone, but howlite (the turquoise imitation),
is even softer
. This means that if you scratch your stone and it scratches easily, you most likely have a piece of howlite. But if it’s very difficult to scratch your stone, you’ve got genuine turquoise!
What is Native American jewelry called?
There are two very general categories of Native American jewelry:
metalwork, and beadwork
. Before Europeans came native metalwork was fairly simple, consisting primarily of hammering and etching copper into pendants or earrings and fashioning copper and silver into beads.
Is turquoise worth anything?
The price of turquoise stones normally range from
$1 to $10 per carat
but can range from $0.05 to $1000 per carat depending on the quality. … The weight of the stone and the Turquoise Quality Index can help us determine how much a stone is really worth.
What is the most expensive turquoise?
Blue Turquoise
The most-prized turquoise color is an even, intense, medium blue, sometimes referred to as robin’s egg blue or sky blue in the trade.
Is turquoise becoming rare?
With depleting mines, turquoise, the most sacred stone to the Navajo,
has become increasingly rare
. A sky-blue colored stone with a gray and gold spiderweb matrix sits melded into an intricate silver ring with engraved feathers along the sides.
