Turquoise Beads

The Story Of Turquoise – History, Spirituality And Production

Sterling silver turquoise pendants are perhaps the most popular and common jewelry item today. It would probably be difficult to find a woman who does not own at least one piece of turquoise jewelry. Traditional jewelry designs created by incredibly skilled artists in the Southwest are particularly popular throughout the country, and especially so in the western states. Many of these artists belong to Native American tribes, and base their designs on the beliefs and traditions of that particular tribe. Thus, while the Hopi, Navajo and Zuni have all given us wonderful artists to make the jewelry that we have come to love, a close examination of the designs from each tribe show distinct patterns and motifs that may not be readily obvious to the novice collector, but can be easily distinguished by the more experienced. Turquoise in the Southwest was discovered and mined about a millennium ago near present-day Santa Fe, NM. The art of jewelry making using turquoise however did not come of age until the Europeans came to the west and brought with them silver and methods to work with this beautiful metal. Outside the North American continent, the history of turquoise goes back even further. It in fact goes back to nearly 4000 BC to ancient Egyptians who mined the stone in the Sinai. Ancient Persia was also famous for its turquoise mines, although the Egyptian sources pre-date the Persian sites by several centuries.

In the world of metaphysics, turquoise is said of be the stone of self realization. It helps gain a better understanding of ourselves, our ideas and our emotions, and assists the process of analytical and rationale thought. It helps us communicate and harmonize with those around us, and is believed to help those who are nervous about speaking in public. The stone is attributed with the power to enhance romantic and platonic relationships. Turquoise allows the wearer to be more empathetic, intuitive, wise, and calm. Some believe that turquoise is a stone of prosperity and success. Turquoise can also be combined with other gems to enhance the beneficial properties of both materials. For example, pearls and turquoise are both believed to have a calming effect on the wearer. So adding turquoise beads to a white pearl necklace is quite common amongst the believers of metaphysics.

The United States is the largest producer of turquoise in the world today. Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado are the primary producers in the US. Iran produces turquoise of the highest quality in the world today, although specimens from Arizona are also highly rated. Other less significant producers of turquoise include Australia, China, Chile, and Peru.

About the Author

Dale is a geologist in Arizona and an amateur gemologist and a fashion jewelry buff.  His technical background has also spurred him to write about inexpensive MP3 players, digitial televisions, hi-fi sound systems, and other consumer and personal electronics.

What jewelry goes with dark turquoise prom dress?

I am trying to figure out what color jewelry and what makeup works best for my prom look. I have a dark turquoise prom dress with allover turquoise/green/purple beading. I have very fair skin, blond hair, and blue eyes. Looking for what color bracelets/earrings/rings would go with my dress and features…I’m not planning on wearing a necklace because my dress has a criss-cross style neck. Any help is appreciated!

try dark purple
gold
green
pink

Sally C Turquoise Bead Sterling Silver Floral 7 Cuff Bra…

35mm 11Pcs Multicolour Turquoise Butterfly Shape Beads $4.74

14mm green natural grass Turquoise square Beads 16″ $11.59

Teardrop Flower Yellow Turquoise Charm Pendant Bead 1PC $3.88

16x23mm Pink Turquoise Oval Beads 15.5″ $6.99

4mm 15.5inchs Green African Turquoise Round Beads $4.28

4mm 15inch Blue Turquoise Round Beads $1.90

8mm New Howlite Turquoise GEMS Round Loose*Bead 1Strand $2.99

2row blue drip Turquoise bead pink/white pearl necklace $28.00

4mm 16inch Multicolour Turquoise Round Beads $3.50

12MM Howlite Turquoise Shell Button Loose Beads 15″L $3.85

12MM Light Purple Howlite Turquoise Shell Button Loose Beads $3.85

12MM White Howlite Turquoise Shell Button Loose Beads 15″L $3.85

12MM Howlite Turquoise Shell Button Loose Beads 15″L Strand $3.85

Flower Turquoise Bead Silver Necklace & Earring TS0285 $3.76

AB Crystal Purple Turquoise Bead Weave Bracelet Chain $5.88

Turquoise and Sea Green Bead Napkin Ring, Set of 4 $20.00 These beautiful turquoise and green napkin rings will complete the beach theme of your table linens….

Lee Hiller Designs General Themes – Colorful Beads and Sequins Bronze Turquoise Gold Print – Mugs Colorful Beads and Sequins Bronze Turquoise Gold Print Mug is new. Why drink coffee out of an ordinary mug when an imprinted mug is so much cooler? Microwave safe, FDA approved. Image is printed on both sides of the mug. Dishwasher use is not recommended….

Lee Hiller Designs General Themes – Colorful Beads and Sequins Bronze Turquoise Gold Print – Tile Napkin Holders Colorful Beads and Sequins Bronze Turquoise Gold Print Tile Napkin Holder is measuring 6w x 6h x 4d. Made from high quality solid maple wood with satin finish and two 4.25 commercial grade mirror gloss ceramic tiles. Holds napkins, mail, letters or files. In addition, customized engraving, on the face of the item, is available on request….

Hanging Western Beaded Lantern with Color Changing Lamp $15.95 …

Pearl Drills 2 Sided- 0.8 mm, SIX DRILLS $53.90 Made of long lasting High Speed Steel. The tips are designed to prevent chipping of pearls. Each pear drill is double sided. Six (6) Pearl Drills….

Pearl Drill 2 Sided- 0.7mm $17.15 Made of long lasting High Speed Steel. The tips are designed to prevent chipping of pearls. Each pear drill is double sided. Sold Individually….

Turquoise Water Pearls $0.01 Cure the Wedding Bell Blues with Unique Wedding Centerpieces! Wedding planning made easy with stunning wedding decorations. Use these water pearls to make a stunning wedding centerpiece. Pick the water pearl decorations to match your wedding theme colors. Each 1oz package makes over 9 cups of turquoise beads. Turquoise water pearls. Starts at 1/8″ and grows to approximately 3/4″. Each sheet requi…

3 Turquoise Synthetic Hair Faux Feather Hair Extensions with Bonded Tips $0.01 Three 16″ long bonded tip synthetic hair extensions with 3 FREE micro ring beads….

Sexy Sparkles 5 Feathers 4-6 Turquoise, Genuine Grizzly & Browns Extension for Hair Extension $4.95 5 genuine feathers bonded together at the tip to make one feather extension -The feathers are real so the sizes and lengths are all different. No two feathers are the same – Feathers will not look identical to those shown in photo – that is just a sample piece. All feathers vary in shape, size and slight color variations and your order will be unique. The feathers are 4-6″ -These are mixes of thin…

Dream Catcher Earring with Turquoise Beads $9.95 Dream Catcher Earring with Turquoise Beads Created in a wide variety of colors and styled in the manner of the dream catchers of Native American culture, these earrings have a body that resembles the traditional web woven to catch bad dreams, with dangling beads and feathers fluttering in the wind below. Hanging 2 1/2″ long, they are a welcome addition to the collection of anyone who enjoy Nativ…