TM

Turquoise is perhaps the oldest stone in man’s history, the talisman of kings, shamans, and warriors. It is a stone of protection, strong and opaque, yet soothing to the touch, healing to the eye, as if carved from an azure heaven and slipped to earth. Its unique shade of blue, often blue-green, lends it name, Turquoise, to all things of this tranquil hue. The delicate veining or mottled webbing in cream or brown is inherent to the stone and serves to enhance its character.

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The name Turquoise is derived from the French, pierre turquoise, meaning “Turkish stone,” because the trade routes that brought Turquoise to Europe from the mines in central Asia went through Turkey, and Venetian merchants often purchased the stone in Turkish bazaars. 

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For thousands of years, Turquoise has spanned all cultures, prized as a symbol of wisdom, nobility and the power of immortality. 

 

Among the Ancient Egyptians, Persians and Chinese, Aztecs and Incas of South America, and Native North Americans, Turquoise was sacred in its adornment and for power, luck, and protection.

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Turquoise beads dating back to 5000 B.C. have been found in Iraq, and the Egyptians were mining the stones in the Sinai in 3200 B.C.

 

 The death mask of Tutankhamun was studded with Turquoise, as were the mosaic masks dedicated to the gods, the fabulous inlaid skulls, shields and power statues of Moctezuma, the last ruler of the Aztecs. 

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For nearly a thousand years, Native Americans have mined and fashioned Turquoise, using it to guard their burial sites. Their gems have been found from Argentina to New Mexico. 

 

 Indian priests wore it in ceremonies when calling upon the great spirit of the sky. Many honored Turquoise as the universal stone, believing their minds would become one with the universe when wearing it. Because of its ability to change colors, it was used in prophesy or divining. To the prehistoric Indian, Turquoise, worn on the body or used in ceremonies always signified the god of the sky alive in the earth. 

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For centuries Turquoise has been recognized as possessing the power to protect riders from injury due to falls. First used as amulets by Turkish soldiers, on their persons and attached to their bridles and trappings, it later came to be used for protection against falls of any kind. 

 

Turquoise is also reputed to be influenced by the physical condition of the person who wears it. It is thought to grow pale when its owner is sick or sad, lose all color when the person dies, and gradually recover its color when transferred to a new healthy owner, its color deepening each day. 

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Historically, Turquoise is credited with the property of securing friendly regard, verifying the traditional saying that “he, or she, who owns a Turquoise will never want for a friend.” 

 

In the Orient, a Turquoise ring was worn as a protector against all things evil. The proverb states: “Given by a loving hand it brings with it happiness and good fortune.” However, the ring emitted protective energy only if the stone was given by a friend. It was believed to restore clear vision to the mind when the thinking became muddled and thus ensured good fortune.

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Turquoise has always been valued as an ornamental gem, often considered a symbol of male power. Anselmus de Boot, court physician of Emperor Rudolph II, wrote in 1609 that Turquoise was so highly regarded by men that no man considered his hand to be well adorned unless he wore a fine Turquoise. 

 

Today, we know Turquoise empowers men and women equally, and worn or carried, it is a talisman of luck, success, ambition and creativity. 

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In the workplace, Turquoise promotes leadership, assists relocation or regular travel associated with career, and helps avoid unwise investments. It helps overcome writer’s block, and is a stone of clear communication when giving information; an especially good amulet for those who work in the law, or for local or central government.

 

Turquoise is especially recommended for accountants and computer operators for mental relaxation, for those who work in radio or television to release anxiety, and for laborers to protect from bodily harm.

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As a crystal for travel, Turquoise protects you and your possessions against theft, loss or attack, helps prevent accidents, especially falls, and even guards your pet. 

 

Attached to a collar, bridle, or cage, Turquoise prevents animals from straying or being stolen, and makes horses sure-footed and obedient to their riders. 

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Tibetan Turquoise, or Chinese Turquoise, is green and carries a slightly different vibration than the more vivid blue.  It is especially useful for clearing the Throat Chakra, and blockages of suppressed self-expression.

 

As jewelry it is worn by men and women alike, and considered a promise of fidelity and protectiveness to a lover or partner. It is used in sacred prayer beads, adorns musical instruments, prayer wheels and bells, and a Turquoise rosary is said to relate prayer to whatever deity is being invoked. Tibetan Turquoise is traditionally received as a gift to pass on its natural fortune-bringing powers, so if you buy your own, make it a gift to yourself. 

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