The concept of an “orange turquoise” color may seem contradictory at first glance. Turquoise is typically considered a bluish-green color, while orange is a mix of red and yellow. However, with the boundless possibilities of color in the visible spectrum, perhaps an orange turquoise could exist after all. In this article, we will explore the characteristics of turquoise and orange, analyze how they could potentially mix, look at examples in nature and culture, and ultimately determine if there truly is such a thing as an orange turquoise.
Defining Turquoise
Turquoise is a light blue-green color that has been prized as a gemstone for thousands of years. The name comes from the French for “Turkish stone” because it was first brought to Europe by Venetian traders from Turkey. Its distinctive blue-green hue is caused by traces of copper in the mineral composition.
Pure turquoise contains no hint of yellow or orange. However, there are many variations of turquoise in nature, depending on the exact minerals present. Common impurities that can affect turquoise’s color include iron, aluminum, chromium, and magnesium. These elements introduce subtle shifts of color, creating turquoise stones that appear more blue or more green.
Defining Orange
Orange is a secondary color made by mixing red and yellow. It sits between red and yellow on the visible spectrum. In digital colors, orange is defined as RGB (255, 165, 0). This means it contains the maximum amounts of red and green light, with some blue added in.
The purity of orange depends on the ratio of red to yellow. More yellow creates a golden orange, while more red makes a reddish orange. To shift orange toward turquoise, yellow would need to be reduced while blue and green are increased. This transforms it away from a warm secondary color to a cooler tertiary color.
Mixing Colors
When painter mix colors, they use the subtractive color model, which involves pigments. The more pigments that are mixed together, the darker the result. This makes blending a vivid orange and bright turquoise quite challenging.
However, light operates through the additive color model, combining red, green, and blue light to create other hues. Computer screens and digital images use this method. It’s possible to digitally mix an orange with enough blue-green to evoke turquoise while retaining some warmth from the original orange.
Turquoise Variations in Nature
Natural turquoise stones display considerable diversity based on their mineral makeup. While pure turquoise is uniformly blue-green, some variations do contain hints of orange.
Tangerine quartz is a gemstone variety that mixes orange and turquoise colors. It contains both copper like turquoise and iron like orange quartz. The result is a vibrant yellow-orange stone with some noticeable blue-green turquoise hues blended throughout.
Similarly, madeira citrine is a golden-orange quartz that often has zones of blue, green, and turquoise running through it. The interplay between the warm citrine orange and cooler turquoise patches creates a dynamic, striking gem.
Another candidate is Tiffany stone, a rare stone found in Utah that contains turquoise, opal, and chalcedony. Its base color is a soft sky blue, but the opal sections flash vibrant orange and fiery red highlights.
Manmade Orange Turquoise
While turquoise does not naturally occur in a definitive orange color, there are ways to artificially mix the two distinct hues.
One method is to start with an orange glaze then add turquoise pigments until the desired color is reached. The turquoise integrates into the orange, neutralizing the yellow tones and bringing in blue-green shades. Using complementary paint colors is another option to blend the turquoise and orange together.
For jewelry, orange turquoise can be created by combining orange calcite or plastic with blue and green dyes. The distribution of the dyes results in turquoise patterning throughout the orange stone. Manmade composite materials allow more flexibility than natural turquoise.
Examples in Culture
Several examples can be found in art and culture that combine orange and turquoise in imaginative ways:
– The album cover for Santana’s 1970 album Abraxas juxtaposed a fiery orange background with a turquoise figure. This striking use of complementary colors helped the album gain iconic status.
– In 2017, Estée Lauder released the Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick in the shade Tumultuous Turquoise Orange. As the name implies, the color was a vivid mix of orange and turquoise in a marbleized effect.
– Many contemporary southwest jewelry designers create orange turquoise by dying blue turquoise beads and pendants with orange hues. This creative license results in unique color combinations.
– The Hindus believe that turquoise stones absorb negative energy. In India, brides often don orange turquoise bangles during their wedding ceremony for protection and luck.
Evaluating Orange Turquoise
Given the evidence, can we say conclusively that an orange turquoise exists? The typical definition of turquoise as a blue-green opaque gemstone excludes orange as a possibility. However, some rare natural stones do display an integration of orange with turquoise. And through human creativity, orange turquoise can intentionally be produced.
While not a naturally occurring color, examples can be found in culture of orange turquoise used for aesthetic purposes. The color orange turquoise is most accurately described as a mixture of two distinct hues – warm orange and cool turquoise. They inhabit two far ends of the color spectrum but can intersect through careful combination.
Conclusion
In summary, while pure turquoise and pure orange are mutually exclusive, there are instances where a merger occurs. Natural stones with zones of orange and turquoise provide some basis in nature. And as an intentional creation, orange turquoise exists as jewelry, art, cosmetics, and cultural artifacts. The vibrancy resulting from these complementary colors makes orange turquoise appealing and imaginative. So while not common, evidence supports that an orange turquoise can and does exist through natural mineral variations and human artistry.
| Color | Definition | Key Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Turquoise | A blue-green gemstone caused by copper traces | Blue, green, opaque, cooler hue |
| Orange | A secondary color from red and yellow | Reddish, yellowish, warm, vivid hue |
Ways orange and turquoise can mix
- Natural mineral variations like tangerine quartz
- Painting using complementary pigments
- Dying blue turquoise with orange hues
- Digital mixing of colors through RGB model
- Juxtaposition of orange and turquoise for visual effect
Cultural uses of orange turquoise
- Album covers and book covers
- Jewelry making
- Cosmetics
- Southwest art and textiles
- Bridal accessories in India
While a true orange turquoise does not exist in nature, there are rare instances of turquoise stones containing zones of orange. And as an invented color combination, orange turquoise is actively used in art, jewelry, cosmetics, and clothing to create striking effects. The vivid clash between these complementary hues produces visually exciting possibilities. So although uncommon, orange turquoise can and does exist as a unique color mixture with aesthetic appeal.
