The most popular birthstone of December is turquoise, one of the oldest stones in human history - a talisman of kings, shamans and warriors, one of the first ever mined gems.
History and spiritual significance
It got its name from the French word turquois, which means “Turkish”, as it was first transported to Europe via Turkey. In fact, its history dates back much longer ago: it already fascinated the pharaohs and rulers of ancient Egypt who often adorned their jewellery and relics with turquoise. In addition, there are records of Chinese artisans 3,000 years ago that mention the use of turquoise gemstones, and it was also used as a payment tool by Native Indians. The Apaches thought it was turquoise at the foot of the rainbow. They also believed that attaching it to a bow or firearm would increase the effectiveness of their aiming, and it would provide them with protection as an amulet. Turquoise is still considered a stone of protection in folklore belief: it protects the body from misfortune and accidents and gives confidence to the wearer.
Physical properties and care
Turquoise has a unique shade of bluish-green in which brownish veins (also known as matrices) often pass through, thanks to the rock debris in which it is formed. Completely clean, matrix-free stone is a real rarity. For making jewellery, it is most often formed into a continuous curved surface (cabochon), but it is also often used to form beads or flat pieces for inlays. On the Mohs scale* it reaches a hardness of 5-6, meaning it is much softer and more vulnerable than diamond, sapphire or ruby, but harder than amber, coral or even silver.
It is usually light-resistant, but can become discoloured or even broken when exposed to high heat. It can be easily cleaned with warm, soapy water, but it is better to avoid various oils, acids and steam nearby.
Interesting facts
Turquoise is the only gemstone after which a separate color was named.
Turquoise can only be mined in a few places in the world, with the largest sourcing site in China, in the province of Hubei.
The largest turquoise is 1.03 meters long, 1.06 meters high, 26 centimeters wide and 225 kg.
Among the celebrities, Meghan Markle, Cameron Diaz and Heidi Klum also love to wear turquoise jewelry.
Turquoise is a popular gift for the 11th wedding anniversary.
If you would like to surprise your loved one with such a unique gemstone, take a look at our offer.
Jewellery: Mattioli, Garavelli Design Italy, Piero Milano, Terzihan
* This scale from 1 to 10 is the most common method used to rank gemstones and minerals by hardness - the softest is rated 1 and the hardest is 10 (diamond).