Turquoise, the Mineral

Turquoise is an opaque blue to green mineral classified as a hydrous phosphate. It was formed as water trickled through a host rock nearly thirty million years ago. Deposits containing copper, aluminum, and zinc were left behind in the host rock to form the beautiful gemstone, Turquoise.

The amount of copper in the mineral dictates the degree of blue that turquoise reveals. This color can range from pale powdery blue to dark blue, blue-green, matte-green, and dark green.

However, when greater levels of aluminum are present the color tends to be more green or white.

If zinc occurs naturally in the mix the color becomes a yellow-green and the stone becomes even harder.

Turquoise is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gemstone and ornamental stone for thousands of years because of it’s unique color.

Turquoise has a hardness of 5-6 (Mohs hardness scale)