April - Turquoise

Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral. It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gem and ornamental stone for thousands of years. The word turquoise is derived from the French word either for Turkish (Turquis) or dark-blue stone (pierre turquin). This maybe because turquoise was traded at Turkish bazaars to Venetian merchants who brought it to Europe. In many cultures of the Old and New Worlds, this gemstone has been esteemed for thousands of years as a holy stone, a bringer of good fortune. In nature, it occurs in the whole range of hues from sky blue to grey-green, and mostly found in places where there is a high concentration of copper in the soil. While turquoise has been found in a region known as Persia in Iran for over two thousand years, it is also found in the Southwestern part of the United States and is frequently used in Indian jewelry. The wearing of turquoise makes one feel happy and cheerful.