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The History of TurquoiseTurquoise,
the "fallen skystone", "gem of the centuries",
is indigenous to the Americas, Turquoise
has been known by this name since the French purchased the "turkey
stone" Sinai Turquoise HistorySince at least
the First Dynasty (3000 B.C.E.) and possibly before, turquoise was
used by the Egyptians and was mined by them in the Sinai Peninsula,
called "Country of Turquoise" by the native Monitu. There
are six mines in the region, all on the southwest coast of the peninsula,
covering an area of some 650 square kilometers. The two most important
of these mines from an historical perspective are Serabit el-Khadim
and Wadi Maghareh, believed to be among the oldest of known mines.
The former mine is situated about four kilometers from an ancient
temple dedicated to Hathor. Iran HistoryFor at least two thousand years, the region once known as Persia has remained the most important source of turquoise, for it is here that fine material is most consistently recovered. This "perfect color" deposit that is blue naturally and turns green when heated is limited to a mine in Neyshabur,Iran. Iranian turquoise has been mined and traded abroad for centuries, and was probably the source of the first material to reach Europe. China Turquoise
History United States Turquoise HistoryThe oldest mine
of any kind on the North American continent, the Cerrillos turquoise
mine just To the Pueblos
and the Navajos, turquoise is sacred, takes its color from the sky,
and The Spanish introduced
silver mining, smelting, and smithing technology into the Southwest
Around 1920, Turquoise Jewelry became popular in western United States. Tourists coming to see the Grand Canyon and the Southwest bought Turquoise Jewelry from the Navajo Indians and brought it home as souveniers. By the 1940's, it had become very popular, mainly in the western United States and soon after throughout the country. General Turquoise Information:There is a real lot to learn about Turquoise. Turquoise is one of the most popular gemstones on earth and it has been for centuries. Therefor, a lot of information, history, and lore is available on this gem. Some of the Turquoise Information out there is false or has been skued, so we find it is best to read information from many sources and take the matching Turquoise Facts from all sources to properly understand the Turquoise information you are looking for. Grades
& Quality | Healing
Beliefs | Physical
Properties | Spiritual
Beliefs | Symbolism
Home | Mine List | Jewelry | Cabochons | FAQ | Links | Contact |
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Created by Durango Silver Company 2009