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Turquoise
Turquoise prized since remotest antiquity for its superb
blue color, was v ) the women of ancient Egypt. Pieces
of turquoise jewelry found mummy dated at 7,500 years
old may well be the oldest wrought items known. The
mountains of the Sinai yielded this ancient to the miners
of the Pharaohs centuries before the Exodus of Israel.
Turquoise was prized by many ancient cultures, including
those of Egypt Persia, Tibet, and the Aztecs and Incas
of Central America.
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Turquoise
was used as money by American Indians of the 16th Century,
gem is associated with religious rites of the Navajos
and other The importance of turquoise to the American
Indian continues to the present day. |
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Native
turquoise occurs primarily as crusts, nodules, veins, and
seams deposited by groundwaters. The mineral is a hydrous
copper rum phosphate; the rich blue colors are ascribed to
copper, while the presence of iron introduces a greenish cast.
Some of the world's turquoise comes from northeastern Iran
(Persia). This source ml a large portion of the turquoise
imported by Europe and Asia for centuries, and turquoise was
a major Iranian Export before World War I.
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Turquoise |
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Turquoise
The
oldest turquoise mines known are in the Sinai
Desert at a place called Maghara Wadi. Minor amounts
of turquoise are found in a, Australia, Tibet,
Peru, Mexico, Chile, and Afghanistan.
Today
the United States is a major world source of turquoise.
Most of 1iines are in Arizona and New Mexico,
with some production from Colorado, Nevada, and
California. Mining is simple, because turquoise
is usually deposited at or near the surface, and
only shallow pits or trenches are needed. Most
mining is done by hand.
There
are several basic grades of turquoise. Turquoise
matrix is ¬material in which blue or green
gem material is mixed with portions of brownish
or gray rock. Sometimes the matrix is in the form
of an intricate Lice-like pattern, known as spiderweb.
So-called Egyptian turquoise is ¬yellowish-green
or greenish-blue.
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American
turquoise is found in al shades of blue and green, usually
with some matrix present. Persia turquoise is dense and
non-porous, so it takes a high polish. This i¬s among
the finest turquoise, and is characterized by a uniform
an,: intense pale-blue or medium-blue color.
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