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In the thirteenth century, turquoise was named in the
mistaken belief that it came from Turkey. The name means
"Turkish stone". In fact, turquoise came to Europe through
Turkey, but its origin was Persia (Iran), where it has been mined
for thousands of years. The Persian word for turquoise is "ferozah"
or "firozah", which means victorious.
Turquoise has captivated man's imagination for centuries. When it
came to the attention of man is unknown. We have archeological as
well as literary references that predate the Christian era by five
millennia. The four bracelets of Queen Zar, found on her mummified
arm, date to the second ruler of the Egypt's First Dynasty,
approximately 5500 B.C. Although not specifically mentioned in the
Bible, scholars believe that the robe worn by the high priest Aaron
was adorned with turquoise.
The blue color of turquoise was
thought to have powerful metaphysical properties by many ancient
cultures. In ancient Mexico, turquoise was reserved for the
gods and could not be worn by mere mortals. In Asia, turquoise was
considered as effective protection against the evil eye.
In the 13th century, turquoise was thought to protect the wearer
from falling, especially from horses, and that it made the horse
more sure footed. During the 16th century turquoise was used as
currency by the Southwest Indians. They believed the gemstone
could bring spoils to the warrior, animals to the hunter, and
happiness and good fortune to all.
The Apache believed that turquoise helped warriors and hunters to
aim accurately. If turquoise were affixed to a bow, the arrows
shot from it would always hit their mark. The Zuni believed that
it protected them from demons.
Turquoise was also thought to
promote prosperity and is, alternating with
zircon and
lapis lazuli, the birthstone for December.
Turquoise is the anniversary gemstone for the 5th year of
marriage. |
