Gems : Turquoise

The intense blue of turquoise, often mottled with little veins of brown limonite or black manganese oxide, makes it a prized gemstone. The name derives from the French word turquoise, meaning ‘Turkish’, as turquoise originally arrived in Europe via Turkey. However, its origins are actually in Iran, and the best turquoise has been described as the colour of the noon sky in Iran.
Turquoise is usually cut en cabochon (as beads), or as flat platelets, and has been used in jewellery for over 3,000 years. Much modern turquoise comes from America, where Native American silver and turquoise jewellery is beautifully crafted.