Stone of the month – Style – Kommersant

According to the National Jewelers Association of America, the birthstone for December is turquoise. In the European tradition of past centuries, to give a turquoise ring meant to say “do not forget me.” Turquoise adorned the funeral mask of Tutankhamen, who ruled Egypt more than 3 thousand years ago, and today is considered the national treasure of Tibet, a talisman of health, good luck and protection from evil. It is customary to give jewelry with turquoise on the 11th wedding anniversary. But in order not to wait so long, you can take the opportunity and give the birthday girl a jewel for the next December birthday.

Iranian turquoise is considered the most valuable in origin; it has been mined in the Nishapur region for more than 1 thousand years. Monochromatic, bright, it received several nicknames at once – “blue robin”, “sky blue”, “Persian blue” – and today these terms can be heard from gem dealers in relation to turquoise of intense blue color from completely different deposits.

The world’s largest producer of turquoise today is China, namely the province of Hubei. American turquoise is also highly valued. Until the 1920s, the state of New Mexico was the leader in the production of turquoise in the United States, and today the states of Arizona and Nevada.

Turquoise has a low strength, 5-6 on the Mohs scale, so it is sometimes processed by adding epoxy or acrylic resin. Turquoise is often dyed to enhance its appearance and shine, which adds to the value of natural, untreated pieces. This is a rather capricious stone – high temperature can cause it to discolor and break, acids and some chemicals, cosmetics and even skin oils can also harm. Turquoise jewelry is safe to clean with warm, soapy water, but never with steam or ultrasonic cleaners.

And despite such delicate characteristics, modern jewelers love turquoise for its rich color and matte appeal. Kommersant Style has collected some of the most interesting evidence of this.

Ekaterina Ziborova