GEMSTONES

TURQUOISE

Birthstones of December

For the charm-struck, ancient legends offer two precious stones which may be worn to guard you from evil and improve your fortune.  One of these is Turquoise, said to bring success in love and money; the other, Zircon, was known in medieval times as a cure for plague and other ills.   Both gems have histories from  distant lands and the earliest civilizations.  Turquoise jewelry belonging to Queen Zer of the First Egyptian Dynasty has been uncovered.  In the Victorian era, the Turquoise enjoyed tremendous popularity in children’s jewelry and was set in lockets, bib pins and finger rings for girls.  The most popular time for Turquoise was during the late 1960s.  American Indian jewelry was powerfully in vogue and Turquoise, the gem most associated with it, was hot. 


The finest Turquoise, known as “Persian Turquoise”, a magnificent powder blue, comes from the famous mines near Nishapur in the province of Khorasa, Iran.  However, New Mexico and other sections of the Southwest United States have yielded similar Turquoise as well as the greenish-blue shade. 


Due to their name similarity, many people assume that Zircon, a natural diamond substitute, and cubic zirconia, a manmade diamond simulant, are one and the same—or closely related.  They are not. 


Zircons come in many colors, the popular and exciting being a rich blue.  Other colors include orange, yellow, red and green.  Today the chief sources of Zircons are the gravel-beds of Cambodia and Sri Lanka.

Special care instructions:  Because Turquoise in porous and soft, remove a ring before washing your hands, as the soap and water may in time affect its color.  It is brittle and soft, so use in rings, unless infrequently worn, is impractical.  They are more suited in pins, earrings, bracelets and pendants.