Its color is referred to as turquoise, but the tint can range anywhere from green-blue to a light sky-blue. The happy and bright color of turquoise is supposed to lend self-confidence to a tempered personality and since turquoise is thought to be responsible for faithfulness and reliable relationships, it has become a very popular token of friendship.
Historians believe that turquoise gets its name from "pierre turquoise" a French phrase that means "Turkish stone." It was often prized as much as gold and rubies, if not more, in ancient Egypt.
Turquoise has been appreciated as a talisman, holy stone, and a good-luck-charm for thousands of years. Turquoise was found on artifacts that were buried with the dead. A turquoise and gold bracelet was found on the wrist of Queen Zer when her tomb was unearthed in 1900. It is one of the oldest pieces of jewelry ever discovered and today it is used in birthstone jewelry, such as birthstone pendants, gemstone necklaces, birthstone charms, birthstone earrings and birthstone rings.
Turquoise was widely thought to prevent injury, especially from falling, by the ancient Chinese. Turkish folks attached the stones to their horse's bridles for protection. Today, the beautiful December birthstone turquoise is considered a good luck charm for flight crews and other professionals who want to ward off accidents. American Indians believed that the celestial blue of the stone was stolen from the heavens by storms and that if a person went to the end of a rainbow and searched the ground, they would find a piece of turquoise. It is also considered a good luck charm and has been prized by Native Americans for many centuries. It is said to promote mental and spiritual clarity, and to enhance kindness, wisdom, trust and understanding.
The December birthstone turquoise is one of the most valuable, non-transparent minerals used in the birthstone jewelry market. Most turquoise is referred to as cryptocrystalline, which means the crystals can only be seen through a microscope. Its hardness ranges between five and six. If the stone has not been stabilized, then even a small thing as exposure to skin oils can change its color. Jewelry made of turquoise should be wiped clean to deter this from happening.
Usually collected as a by-product of copper mining, turquoise is mainly found in relation to copper deposits. It can be seen as nodules and veins that are a lustrous green or a blue hue. The superior quality turquoise used to make birthstone jewelry is found in desert environments, as part of weathered, aluminum-rich, sedimentary or volcanic rocks. While the best turquoise comes from Iran, high quality deposits are also found in the southwestern United States, Afghanistan and other Middle Eastern locals, as well as Australia.