The traditional birthstone for December is the beautiful turquoise. Turquoise has been considered a holy stone for thousands of years, and was worn in ancient times around the neck or hands in order to protect from sudden death--and to bring good luck. The turquoise has played a big role in jewelry and people's lives since as early as 3000 BC, when it was mined and worn by the Egyptians. People would wear turquoise in their turbans surrounded by pearls as a protection against the "evil eye." Turquoise was also often used as talismans or to adorn daggers and sabres. The name turquoise means "Turkish," and was given to the stone after it was brought to Europe by the Turks during the Crusades.
The turquoise measures a 6 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness, which makes it a rather soft gemstone. While the stone has a very well-known and easily identifiable color, it can still range from a darker blue-green to a very light sky blue. The coloring depends on the amount of iron and copper in the mineral. The greener the stone, the more iron, and the bluer the stone the more copper. Turquoise is also known for having a darker pattern going through the middle of the stone. This pattern is known as a turquoise-matrix. Today the nicest turquoises come from north Iran, but we also get a lot of good stones from the U.S. and Mexico.
I love using turquoise in many of my designs. I think the blue color goes with everything and is wonderful with gold and silver. I've been making the Luna Pendant at the right with turquoise since I started making jewelry. It's unique movement just never goes out of style.
If you are interested in working with to me create something beautiful with turquoise or any other stone, please don't hesitate to reach out and tell me more about your ideas!
Uncut Turquoise Photo Credit: Flickr.com - JimmyMac210