holiday gems
Turquoise
THE HOLIDAY BIRTHSTONE
Y ou may know that turquoise is the birthstone of December . But did you know that turquoise is also the oldest gemstone ever found ?
HISTORY OF THE STONE
Historians believe that the first trace of turquoise being cultivated dates to 4000 BCE . Ancient Egyptian pharaohs wore turquoise jewelry , as have others throughout the ages . The stone has been believed to grant good health and fortune . Luckily for us today , you don ’ t need to be royalty to get your hands on one of these exquisite gemstones . But there are certain things you want to keep in mind when picking one out .
HOW TO SELECT YOUR TURQUOISE blue , thus its high value . Any turquoise with more of a green tint is considered of lower value .
TEXTURE
Perrywinkle ' s Oceana Turquoise Layered Station Necklace In 14K Gold , N225 .
Porosity and texture are important to keep in mind when selecting a turquoise gemstone . Much like a sponge , porosity refers to the little pockets of space or voids within the stone .
Turquoise ranks between 5 and 6 on the Mohs scale . The Mohs scale measures the hardness of the stone . To give you an idea , a diamond scores a 10 on the Mohs scale .
When selecting a turquoise gemstone , look for low porosity if you want your stone to last .
When evaluating turquoise , you want to consider its color , texture , and matrix . Let ’ s break them down .
COLOR
The more uniform the color , the more valuable the turquoise . Persian turquoise is deep and pure sky
MATRIX
The matrix refers to the intricate and beautiful patterns etched across some pieces of turquoise . The more intricate the pattern , the more valuable the stone . However , the most valuable turquoise has no patterns at all and is coveted for its purity .
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