TURQUOISE TOUR

Throughout the ages, from Tutankhamen’s burial mask in Ancient Egypt to the Taj Mahal in India to the far-flung corners of Tibet and Mongolia, turquoise has been prized for its beauty. It ranges in color from green to greenish blue to sky blue. It is said to soothe and calm. Almost all ancient civilizations associated turquoise with goddesses of love. It’s a touch of unexpected red carpet tranquility for Liv Tyler, Milla Jovovich, or Penelope Cruz in Caribbean sea green gowns, at once bold and serene. Wear it in honor of December if you need to relax your mind and ease mental tension (perfect for when the holiday hoopla gets to be too much) or to stimulate health, happiness and good fortune (like a little box with the words Tiffany & Co. written on it).

The stone has been highly valued throughout the millennia. It is especially important this time of the year to those born under the sign of Sagittarius. It is their birthstone and is said to protect the wearer from harm. This legend is true for both the eastern and western parts of the globe.

Turquoise gets its name from the Old French term for Turkish. It was the Turkish people who introduced the stone to the Europeans through the Levantine traders who traveled abroad. Although it was Persia, now Iran, that had the most famous mines and the highest quality stones. The Persians wore the stone around their necks and wrists as a protection against unnatural death. On the other side of the world, Native Americans also prized turquoise and that of California, Nevada and Arizona is said to rival the quality of Persian turquoise. Native Americans call turquoise the ‘fallen sky stone’ that they found buried deep in the earth. They also believed the stone protected them from harm and often medicine men carry turquoise in their shamanic bundle.

To wear turquoise is to connect with this sense of calm security prized by the Turkish and the Native Americans. It is a celebration of sometimes very bright, sometimes very bold, calm. And it is the perfect stone to bring you into a new year full of auspicious beginnings.

~Alba Brunetti

December 2012