December 2025
Turquoise
This month we're diving into December's birthstone: the worldly Turquoise
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​Turquoise has been used and worn across many cultures for thousands of years, treasured for its uniquely bright color and protective power. It has long been seen as a stone that holds a connection between the world beneath our feet and the open sky above.
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​Middle Kingdom, Egypt
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​In ancient Egypt, turquoise appeared on collars, rings, and ceremonial objects. Nobles and rulers believed it could protect them in this life and the next. The stone was set in gold and placed in tombs to guide the dead toward safe passage. In Persia (Modern Iran), turquoise was worn to guard against misfortune. Temples and palaces were decorated with it to invite harmony and calm into daily life.
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Unknown Maker, Diné (Navajo)
Necklace, ca. 1930s
Courtesy of the RISD Museum, Providence, RI.
Indigenous communities of the American Southwest hold a deep relationship with turquoise. Navajo, Zuni, Hopi and Pueblo makers have shaped it into beads, inlay work, pendants and objects used in ceremony. For many of these cultures, turquoise represents water, harvest, and health with its color symbolizing creation and security. It is often worn as a form of protection or as a reminder of connection to the land. The jewelry that comes from this region reflects generations of artistry and care with contemporary jewelers keeping these traditions alive.
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17th–19th century Nepal
In Tibet and Mongolia, turquoise is seen as a stone that absorbs the energy of the person who wears it. Families often pass turquoise beads down through generations, believing the stone becomes more powerful and meaningful as it changes with time. Its color is thought to reflect the well being of the wearer
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“Turquoise occurs in a wide range of colors from sky blue to green,
often marked by veins of the host rock known as matrix.”
— Gemological Institute of America, Turquoise Guide
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​​​​​​​​​​​​​Turquoise appears in many natural shades with some stones appearing bright blue, green, and other samples containing intricate dark lines created by the surrounding rock. Stones found near aluminum may be a deeper green, or lean more yellow when zinc is present. Sunlight and weather can brighten the stone. Differences also occur regionally dependent on the location the stone was mined from. Each piece is thus marked by the landscape where it formed.
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3rd–7th century, Peru
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With a Mohs hardness between 5-6, turquoise is considered a relatively soft stone, lending itself well to carving. Throughout history it has been used in rings, amulets, necklaces as inlay and included in mosaic work.
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Ring: mid-16th century; cameo: early Hellenistic 4th century BCE Probably Italian
In our shop we value turquoise for its storied history and the calm many people feel when they hold or wear it. If you have an idea for a piece featuring turquoise, we would be glad to create something meaningful with you.
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