Better Know a Gemstone: Turquoise

Every month we celebrate a particular gemstone that’s associated with the month at hand. But what about all the other gemstones that don’t have a month to claim? Well, we’re going to turn our spotlights on other gemstones in this series and celebrate our love for them as well.

Turquoise is a beloved and mysterious gemstone that has been an integral part of jewelry design for thousands of years. The name “turquoise” comes from an old French word dated back to the 16th century that means “Turkish,” as Europe’s first introduction to the stone came from Turkey.

Turquoise has been a prevalent part of Egyptian culture, with turquoise bracelets found on Queen Zar’s mummy from as early as 5500 B.C. The oldest turquoise mines also come from that same region on the Sinai Peninsula known as the Maghara Wadi mines. Turquoise has also been a valued gemstone and jewelry artifact among ancient Persia, Iran, China, Tibet, and Native Americans.

Browse Our Collections of Luxury Jewelry for LadiesThe largest turquoise nugget found to date can be found in the Shandong Tianyu Museum of Natural History in China. This turquoise is approximately 3 feet long, 3 feet high, and 10 inches wide and weighs nearly 500 pounds.

This beautiful pair of turquoise and pave diamond earrings is from our private collection. The simple marquise-shape backgrounds of pave round-cut diamonds make for the perfect backdrop to show of those wonderful oval cabochons of bright blue turquoise.

Established in 1912, the King family has owned and operated King Jewelers for five generations while building an outstanding reputation steeped in quality, value, and first-class service. Today, King Jewelers has brick-and-mortar stores located in Aventura, FL and Nashville, TN, both of which have won numerous regional and national awards of distinction. Offering a magnificent selection of fine jewelry collections including the hottest Italian designs, estate jewelry, colored gemstones and fancy-colored diamonds, as well as luxury European timepieces, King Jewelers prides itself in being one step ahead of the trend. In addition, King Jewelers offers on-site jewelry and watch repairs, custom design services, appraisals, estate buying, and corporate gift programs. For more information, visit www.kings1912.com.