Turquoise in the American Southwest

Turquoise is an opaque gemstone that is commonly used to make sterling silver turquoise pendants and other fine and fashion jewelry. It is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminum compounds, and the copper gives the stone its sky blue color. Turquoise is often found in association with copper deposits. The exception to this is Iran, which produces some of the best quality turquoise specimens. Here, turquoise is found in trachyte deposits. In the United States, turquoise is found in Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada in the large copper deposits found in these states. Over the past several centuries, turquoise has played an important part in the arts and culture of the Native American tribes of the great American Southwest. For centuries now, it has had spiritual and religious significance members of the various tribes. Most of these religious beliefs stem from the fact that turquoise is found within the earth but its color is similar to that of the heavens. They believe that because of this combination, turquoise helps in bringing together heaven and earth. Their early attempts to use turquoise in jewelry were quite primitive, usually consisting of a few nuggets strung together to form necklaces and bracelets. Artists here honed their skills over the years, and today, the jewelry they design and make has gained a legion of loyal followers the world over.