For The Love of Beads BlogThe adventures of Suzanne, Nibbler, and friends in the world of beads and jewelry making crafts

Extra Large Rounds

Here at For the Love of Beads, we want to offer you the best selection of beads from all over the world, and you can be sure that you are gonna find the highest quality beads in each and every one of our sections. In our gemstone beads department, for example, we have a great selection of semi-precious stones. Turquoise is one of them.  We have this beautiful stone in 11 different striking styles and shades and 12 sizes for your jewelry designs at the most incredible prices.

Polished Pieces

But, have you ever wonder where this mesmerizing stone comes from and why it has been so appreciated throughout history? One could think that because of the name, the stone comes from Turkey. But it´s interesting to know that actually it came from Persia (now Iran) and Egypt, but because was traded mostly in Turkey´s ancient bazaars, people thought that it was produced in that country.

Even more interesting is the fact that during the twentieth century, the biggest producer in the world was the United States.  According to this site Arizona, Colorado, California and Nevada are the states that have produced the highest quality stones in great quantities in the past years.

So, why has this stone been so appreciated in almost every culture in the world? It´s well known that ancient Egyptians in the Middle East and Aztecs in Mexico used to wear it on their clothes and in very important ceremonial occasions.

Barrels

A very curious fact is that during the Conquest of Mexico, the Spaniards Conquistadors didn’t pay any attention to the stone because they were only looking for gold. American Indians tribes, who also incorporated the stone in their culture, used to think that turquoise was a link between the sky and the sea because of its green and blue colors.

Oval Pendants

Some say that the interest on this stone could be because its metaphysical properties. It´s considered a talisman that attracts friendship and is also very useful to strengthen communications skills. It’s said that connects the spiritual, physical and emotional levels in the body, that it brings good fortune for the wearer and helps to overcome depression.  It´s a protective stone as well, mostly against unexpected falls. And in the past, people believed that when the stone changed its color it was a sign of imminent danger. But now we know that turquoise can change color due several factors such as heat, sun, bright light and the use of cosmetics.

Whether you think turquoise is a beautiful stone worth wearing as accessory or you believe in its healing properties or both, we want to give you the most important information we can gather about the subject.

So,let us know if turquoise is your favorite stone and if not, well let us know which one is.