A worshipped stone since ancient times, turquoise is believed to have been the first mined gemstone. It was first found in the Middle East and the pure blue (robin's egg blue) without any matrix or spider webbing is still called "Persian Turquoise." It is the national stone of Iran. Turquoise has many legends and lore. It is said to hold the color of the atmosphere that surrounds the earth giving breath and life. In Tibet, it is valued in the same way as jade is in China. Turquoise was used to decorate the tombs of the Pharaohs as well as sword handles, bowls, costumes, seals and other ornamental objects of the Persians, Romans, Greeks, Aztecs, Mexicans, Chinese, and even Native Americans. It was also worn as eyeliner and ground and swallowed for healing purposes. The Apache lore holds that if a piece of turquoise were placed on the bow or rifle, it would cause accurate aim. In Navajo legends, a piece of this gemstone, thrown into a river while praying to the rain god, would cause rain. In the Zuni, Hopi and Pueblo Indian beliefs, Turquoise held secret healing energy and was the unifying power between the spirit of the air and the spirit of the earth. With a hardness of only 5, in addition to a porous nature, turquoise can be stained and damaged by chemicals. For care of turquoise see our care of your jewelry section. We encourage you to stop in to Ralph Miller Jewelers and see a large array of genuine turquoise stones of various colors.
