Turquoise Trivia

(via Lapidary Journal) Annie Osburn writes:

Turquoise is one of the oldest known gem materials, and was mined in the Sinai Peninsula before the 4th millennium B.B. Its allure caught the eye of ancient Egyptians, Mayans, and Aztecs, who took to mining the gemstone. In ancient Mexico, turquoise was reserved for the gods and not worn by mere mortals. Apache Indians believed turquoise gave warriors and hunters better aim; the Zuni believed it protected them from demons; and Tibetans have carved it into ritual objects and worn it as traditional jewelry.

“Turquoise is supposed to bring you good luck,” says Bruce McGee, Director of Retails Sales at The Heard Museum, a leader in Native American art collections located in Phoenix, Arizona. McGee, whose father was a trader in the Four Corners area, grew up literally surrounded by Navajo and Hopi culture. “In the old trading days, among Navajo women turquoise was a sign of wealth. The more wealthy ones had large sets of beads, large bracelets, and collar pins on their velveteen blouses. When I was young, I remember seeing belt buckles and chunk necklaces worn by the medicine men, and horse halters with turquoise and silver that were so large you couldn’t even afford to make something like that anymore.”