Turquoise is a beautiful stone normally of a sky blue but it can range from the palest of baby blues to the deepest of greens and every shade in between.
Turquoise is a unique stone all around the world because it has been so very highly valued by so many different peoples. Part of this is because turquoise forms near the surface of the Earth and is thus more easily collected than many other stones. It has been prized in the ancient Orient, throughout Europe and Persia, in the Mediterranean, Egypt, Meso-America, and North America.
Often associated with the sky and sky gods, turquoise is well regarded as a stone of good fortune and prosperity. A turquoise given by a friend is supposed to be especially powerful as gifts given out of affection carry such good fortune with them, anyways. Being associated with the gods, it was common to find it as part of religious artifacts, including masks, jewelry, and objects such as plates and goblets. It wasn’t used widely in Europe until after the 14th century, with the decline of the Roman Catholic church which prized the stone highly.
Rings made of turquoise are supposed to protect the wearer’s health and prosperity and necklaces ward the wearer against ill-fortune.
Turquoise is one of the rare stones that can actually change color throughout it’s lifespan and it is believed that it will become paler and more green as one’s health weakens and then become a deeper sky blue as one returns to health. Because of this color changing property, it was also used by ancient peoples to warn them and prophesy ill-fated fortunes, bad weather, or natural disasters.
