Turquoise Blog

The color of turquoise ranges from blue to green to yellow. Its luster waxy. Its surface ridden with an intricate matrix. This beautiful gem isn’t just a precious rock, it tells a story. It tells of history, tradition, culture. Turquoise is a sacred stone of the Navajo people and has also occupied a position of prestige in other places around the world. This magnificent gem has graced the palace halls and mausoleums of great kings and pharaohs. You might have heard of it. Perhaps you even own one. Have you ever thought, however, that this gem might have more to...

Turquoise is considered by many to be one of the most valuable gems in the world. It’s universally considered to be both rare and valuable. It also one of the very first gemstones ever discovered by humans. As early as 7,500 years ago, turquoise jewelry was worn by the upper classes of different cultures all around the world. From Egypt to Persia, the Indus Valley to Tibet, and Native America to the Aztecs of the south, turquoise was a mainstay of fashion among royalty. From kings to tribal leaders, unknown merchants to great historical figures, turquoise was not only considered...

When native American Indian jewelry is mentioned, the squash blossom necklace is often the first that comes to mind. It is one of the most iconic and well-known designs of American Indian jewelry, with the inverted crescent-shaped pendant -- “naja” as so called by the Navajo -- as its signature centerpiece. There have been different sayings about the origin of the necklace. One popular speculation is that the Southwest Indian designs were heavily influenced by the Spanish. They first saw the crescent-shaped pendant as iron ornaments on the horse bridles of the Spanish Conquistadors in the late 16th and early...

Many of our turquoise jewelry are made by native American Indians. As we mentioned in Why the Value of Turquoise is Skyrocketing, Navajo and other native American Indian people in the Southwest have been perfecting their unique jewelry styles and techniques ever since they learned silversmithing from the Spanish. They passed down this artistic tradition from generation to generation, and till this day, have been known worldwide for their distinct jewelry style -- the combination of turquoise and silver, which signifies the fusion of the sacred and the secular. The Southwest Indian artists take pride in their work so much...

Turquoise is usually a product of dry climates, typically found in Iran, northwest China, the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, and Southwest America. I’m partial to Southwest American turquoise because of the story behind it. Native Americans have valued its beauty and spiritual qualities for thousands of years. They had as many different words for turquoise as there were languages spoken. They believe that turquoise, the “fallen sky stone,” is where sky meets water and father sky hugs mother earth. To them, turquoise is life. It brings happiness, luck, and health. In the 19th century, the American Indians learned silver working...