Journal
Turquoise forms in arid regions, where rainwater filters through copper-rich soils and leaves deposits of hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminum in apertures in parent rock. As a result, major turquoise deposits generally occur in association with large copper deposits, and copper mining and turquoise harvesting often work hand-in-hand. Turquoise-producing regions have historically included northern […]
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You may have heard this term block turquoise before when shopping for turquoise jewelry. If you are interested in buying turquoise jewelry, then it’s a good idea to know what it means! You must know what questions to ask. Did you know you shouldn’t ask the question “Is that real turquoise?” Because some dealers and […]
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Turquoise was used when decorating the Taj Mahal and when crafting King Tut’s death mask. Ancient Persians wore it as protection against unnatural death. The Aztecs used inlaid it in skulls statues, and shields. It has been used as a holy stone, for protection, as a symbol of wisdom, immortality, as well as being prized […]
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What is Hardness? Hardness is not only the condition of being a hard solid but in mineralogy it is a measurement of scratch resistance. In other words how resistant a solid’s surface to being scratched relative to another solid. A hard mineral can scratch the surface of a softer mineral. A soft mineral is unable to […]
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Turquoise tidbits The story behind how turquoise got its name is an interesting one! During the 17th century, traders passed through Turkey (called “Turquie” in French) where the gemstone was called “Turquies”. The gemstone’s name therefore originated from ancient travels from Persia (Iran) to Europe via the Middle East! Just as interesting, is the fact […]
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