Turquoise: Sleeping Beauty

Turquoise has been revered since ancient times, and it always finds itself at the forefront of fashion. The bright, cheerful robin's egg blue color of Sleeping Beauty turquoise makes it one of the most sought after varieties of this trendsetting stone.

Turquoise has long been thought of as a holy stone, a bringer of good fortune or a talisman and has been called a "gemstone of the peoples." The name turquoise is derived from an Old French word meaning "Turkish stone," because the stone was introduced to Europe by Venitian traders who purchase turquoise at Turkish bazaars. These stones likely came from the Sinai Peninsula in Iran, an area that has been mining turquoise since 5000 BCE. The Persians called turquoise "firouze," which means victorious. Turquoise is the national gemstone of Iran. Sleeping Beauty turquoise is a unique variety of turquoise revered for its smooth robin's egg blue coloring with limited veining.

GemLORE
  • Turquoise was one of the first gemstones ever mined, dating back to 6000 BCE in the Sinai Peninsula.
  •  The tomb of the Egyptian Queen Zer, who ruled around 5500 BCE, was unearthed in 1900. A turquoise and gold bracelet was found on her wrist, making this one of the oldest pieces of jewelry on earth.
  •  In Mexico, the Aztecs began mining turquoise between 900 and 1000 CE, often fashioning it into elaborate masks.
  •  Turquoise played a substantial role in several Native American cultures and symbolized the union and balance between the Earth and sky. During the 16th century, tribe members used turquoise as currency.
  •  The Anasazi tribe mined turquoise in Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado. The city of Chaco Canyon's economy was largely based on the turquoise trade, and gems from this area were distributed along the trade routes of the American continent. Specimens have been located as far away as the Mayan city of Chichén Itzá in the Yucatán.
  •  The Navajo believed turquoise fell from the sky and protected against demons.
  •  Apache warriors believed that wearing turquoise improved their hunting. Affixing turquoise to a bow meant that the arrows shot from it would always hit their mark.
  •  Turquoise is used to correct imbalance and bring peace of mind.
  •  Crystal healers use turquoise to ward off depression, exhaustion and panic attacks. It is also thought to be helpful to the respiratory system and fight allergy symptoms.
GemGPS

LOCATION: Arizona

The rare and exceptional Sleeping Beauty turquoise is sourced from the Sleeping Beauty mines, located in Globe, Arizona. The mountain where this gem is mined resembles the figure of a sleeping woman, lying on her back with her arms crossed. The mine was first opened more than 40 years ago in the pursuit of copper and gold. However, in the past decade, mining has been focused on the vibrant, bright sky blue stone. The Sleeping Beauty mine is the largest producer of turquoise in the United States.

GemFACTS
  • Ranks 5 to 6 on the Mohs hardness scale.
  •  Sleeping Beauty turquoise is a smooth robin's egg blue with limited veining.
  •  Sourced from Arizona, USA.
  •  Member of the turquoise family.
  •  Birthstone for June, July and December.
  •  Traditional gift for 11th anniversary.
  •  Associated with the zodiac sign of Sagittarius.
  •  Official gemstone for Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico.
  •  After several years of wear, the color of the stone may alter due to natural oils absorbed from the wearer's skin.
  •  This gem has been stabilized to enhance durability.