How did Indians find turquoise?

Turquoise is found in arid regions where water seeps through natural rock and interacts with copper deposits, so it was plentiful in portions of the Southwest inhabited by Indians.

How did Native Americans find turquoise?

Roughly 200 mines have been discovered throughout the Southwest, most believed to have been started by Native Americans, who used shaped stone hammers, mauls and adzes to chisel the pieces of sky out of the rock. The largest ancient turquoise mine was found at Mount Chalchihuitl, near Cerrillos, NM.

How did the Navajo get turquoise?

Turquoise in Rituals and Ceremonies

Much more than just a good luck charm, turquoise was truly hallowed to the Navajo people. In some Native American legends, it is said that when the skies opened up and rained after a long drought, the tears of the people seeped into the Earth and formed turquoise.

Why do Native Indians wear turquoise?

Turquoise Symbolism

Turquoise is a symbol of protection, truth, and courage. According to Native Americans, the person who wears the stone is protected from harm, especially when fighting battles, while animals carry the rider safely and prevent falling off.

Why is turquoise so valuable to Apache?

Apache people associate the stone with rain found at the rainbow's end. They tied pieces of turquoise to their bows to keep them safe and give then strength and skill in battle. The Hopi believed that turquoise is the waste product of a lizard that travels between the heavens and the earth.

Navajo Teachings: The Truth About Turquoise

Did the Cherokee use turquoise?

Much of the Cherokee jewelry incorporates turquoise, a blue or green gemstone that several other Indian tribes use to make artful necklaces, rings, belt buckles or the like. Cherokee jewelry items were very popular for trading with the European settlers during the early 17th century.

Is turquoise indigenous?

Throughout the arid world, native and aboriginal peoples held turquoise in high regard for spiritual reasons. Ancient Egyptians entombed their Pharaohs with turquoise-studded jewelry, and the Persians associated the mineral with victory and holiness.

What is Indian turquoise called?

To the Navajo tribe, the color turquoise represents happiness, luck, and health. Turquoise is also the most common component of Native American Jewelry.

What is Indian turquoise?

In India turquoise is known as 'phiroza' and 'December birthstone'. In ancient Mexico turquoise was believed to be a stone of the Gods. In Asian countries like India, Persia and Afghanistan, people had a belief that wearing Turquoise promoted good health, prosperity and protected one against evil.

Is turquoise found in India?

Where is Turquoise gemstone found? Turquoise being among the oldest gems to be mined are found in Iran, Egypt, India, China ,Tibet, Afghanistan, Australia.

What is the rarest turquoise?

Lander Blue Spiderweb Turquoise is some of the rarest Turquoise on earth and in high demand, Buyers must beware of impersonators, the highest grade of Chinese Spiderweb Turquoise is often sold as Lander Blue Turquoise, it takes an experienced professional to detect true Lander Blue Turquoise.

Can turquoise have gold in it?

Cerrillos turquoise also holds a special place in Native American history. Cripple Creek Turquoise: Originally found as a by-product of gold mining in Cripple Creek, CO, this turquoise is generally blue to light green - and rarely, and spectacularly, has a matrix of gold.

What is Navajo turquoise?

Known as the 'stone of life,' Navajo Turquoise holds great value and significance among the Navajo people, a Native American tribe from the Southeastern United States. Navajo has a special name for this beautiful stone, which they call “Doo tl' izh ii”.

What Indian tribes make turquoise jewelry?

The main tribes who are responsible for most of the turquoise jewelry creation in the past – the Navajo, Hopi, and Zuni – have made such an incredible contribution to this art form over the centuries.

How can you tell real turquoise?

The most effective way to identify real Turquoise is to do the scratch test. Howlite or other materials fake Turquoise is made from are softer stones than genuine Turquoise. Lightly use your nail to scratch a less visible part of the stone like the backside and if it scratches easily, it's howlite.

Is turquoise worth any money?

Turquoise prices normally range from $1 to $10 per carat but can reach $1000 per carat for the best quality stones. Real turquoise of the top quality costs even more than gold, so it is definitely worth the money.

Is turquoise going extinct?

Important as it is for the native Americans, turquoise is on the verge of extinction. The supply of natural turquoise has been dramatically reduced in the past few years. Worldwide, China has been the world's largest producer of turquoise since 1985.

Is turquoise rarer than diamonds?

By definition of rarity (not market size) turquoise is rarer than diamonds. Diamonds deserve their place in the world of gemstones as a commerce gemstone. They are an easy gemstone and subject to learn about and grade.

What happens when turquoise gets wet?

Turquoise is a compound that includes metals such as aluminum, copper or iron. Water and oil can cause some of these metals to oxidize, or in other words rust. As a result of oxidation, the stones can actually change color.

Where can I dig for turquoise?

Where is natural turquoise found?

Turquoise has been mined all over North America for hundreds of years, but its richest deposits have always been found primarily in the southwestern states of Arizona and Nevada. California has also been a popular source of the opaque blue gemstone over the years, with mines found in San Bernardino and Inyo Counties.

Where was turquoise first found?

It is believed that Turquoise was first discovered on the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt over 7,500 years ago. Highly coveted by the Egyptians as a sacred stone with supernatural powers, it was used by healers and worn by Kings and Pharaohs.

What kind of rock is turquoise found in?

Turquoise commonly occurs in veinlets penetrating weathered, aluminum - rich, sedimentary or volcanic rocks (where it has been deposited near the surface from circulating phosphatic waters) in arid climates, and in small, fine-grained, rounded masses and crusts.

What is the history of turquoise?

Turquoise was one of the first gemstones ever mined, perhaps dating back to 6000 BC, in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. The name turquoise comes from the same French word, Turquoise, meaning Turkish, since it originally arrived in Europe through Turkey, originating in Iran.

Where did Egyptians get turquoise?

It is a relatively rare stone, mined today primarily in the American Southwest, Iran, and China; the sources of turquoise most easily available to the ancient Egyptians were in the southwest Sinai, from deposits that apparently were long ago substantially depleted.