The Popularity of Turquoise Through the Ages

Turquoise has steadily gained in popularity since it was first discovered by Egyptians some six thousand years ago. The Egyptians however, did little to spread the popularity of this stone in the masses. Instead, they restricted its ownership to royalty and high priests. Centuries later, major deposits of this gemstone were found in Persia or present day Iran. Although Persian turquoise was of much higher quality compared to specimens from Egypt, the Persians placed no restrictions on who could and could not own and use turquoise. This helped make turquoise much more popular in the region, and the demand for turquoise jewelry spiked sharply. The spread of turquoise from Asia to Europe was facilitated through Turkey, which at one time was a major trading center for turquoise. The use of turquoise by Native American tribes in the Southwest United States is only a relatively recent event. Records suggest that native tribes here started using and trading turquoise about a thousand years ago. More recently, the demand for turquoise in jewelry designs has been affected by the prevailing trends in the world of fashion. In the 1970s, the demand for turquoise jewelry was quite high. But then, fashion trends changed, and demand for turquoise dropped in the 1980s. At the turn of the century however, it appears that the demand for turquoise is on the rise again. Currently, turquoise is the most popular opaque gemstone for jewelry.