Turquoise jewelry has long been a staple in Native American, Southwestern, and bohemian fashion. The striking blue-green hue of turquoise makes it a visually appealing gemstone that stands out when worn. But beyond its aesthetic appeal, for many cultures turquoise is imbued with deep symbolic meaning. Wearing turquoise jewelry or accessories can convey certain ideas, beliefs, and values.
Turquoise in Native American Culture
For Native Americans, turquoise has been prized for thousands of years and carries a deep spiritual significance. Many tribes believe turquoise brings good fortune, protection against harm, and promotes healing and tranquility. Tribes such as the Navajo, Zuni, and Hopi have used turquoise extensively in their jewelry and crafts.
In the Navajo tribe, turquoise is associated with the sky and rain. It’s seen as a holy stone that can connect humans to the natural world and spiritual realm. Navajos often bury their dead with turquoise so the stone can offer protection in the afterlife. Navajo mothers and grandmothers will frequently wear turquoise and silver bracelets engraved with protective symbols.
For the Pueblo peoples, which include the Hopi and Zuni, turquoise represents water and rain and is symbolic of fertility, life, and good health. In Hopi culture, turquoise can signify wealth, status, and ancestry. Hopi artisans are renowned for their elaborate turquoise jewelry inlaid with silver.
Throughout the Southwest, Native Americans regard turquoise as a living piece of the earth that shares its energies. Stones with a greener hue are thought to promote calmness and peace, while bluer stones bring about clarity. Wearing turquoise jewelry enhances intuition, creativity, and connects the wearer to forces of nature.
Turquoise in Tibetan Buddhism
In Tibetan Buddhism, turquoise is a sacred stone that also symbolizes wisdom, tranquility, and spiritual enlightenment. It’s one of the seven gems regalia of the Tibetan paramount ruler, along with coral, pearl, ruby, sapphire, moonstone, and topaz. These gemstones correspond to the seven possessions of a universal monarch.
Tibetan turquoise is usually set in silver and worn as rings, bracelets, and pendant necklaces. The color blue-green invokes the purifying, soothing energy of water, while the matrix patterns symbolize veins that irrigate the earth. Many Tibetans believe turquoise welcomes prosperity and success.
Turquoise beads are commonly used to make Buddhist prayer beads or malas. For example, mato shells found in Tibetan high mountain lakes are used to make turquoise bead malas. Using turquoise malas during meditation is believed to promote inner peace.
Turquoise in Persian Culture
Persia (modern day Iran) is another region famed for its high-quality turquoise deposits. Persian civilization has valued turquoise as an ornamental stone for over 2,000 years. Ancient Persia was an important trading center along the Silk Road, supplying Chinese and Turkish merchants with this brilliant blue-green gem.
To the Persians, the light blue of turquoise mirrors the color of the sky. It’s seen as a stone that unites the energies of the heavens with the earth. Persian culture also associates turquoise with feminine beauty, love, virtue, and luck. Brides will often wear turquoise jewelry as a symbol of purity.
Popular turquoise jewelry designs in Persian culture include ornate filigree silverwork studded with turquoise cabochons. Turquoise may be carved into shapes and figures that have symbolic meaning. It’s common to see rings, pendants, earrings, and headdresses featuring turquoise accents.
Turquoise Meanings in New Age Culture
In New Age spiritual circles, turquoise carries many of the same energy properties ascribed to it by ancient cultures. Healing crystals and gemstones are used for their metaphysical effects during meditation, Reiki healing, psychic work, and chakra therapy.
Some meanings associated with turquoise in New Age or crystal healing contexts include:
- Promotes calmness, wisdom, truth
- Aids in clear communication and speaking one’s truth
- Dispels negative energy, depression, fears
- Stimulates the immune system, vitality
- Aligns all the chakras; especially beneficial for the throat chakra
Wearing a turquoise pendant or other jewelry piece during meditation is said to facilitate deeper states of tranquility. Laying turquoise stones over the throat chakra or holding a tumbled turquoise stone during visualization exercises may stimulate clearer communication.
In crystal healing grids and layouts, turquoise empowers the entire arrangement and acts as an aligning, grounding influence. It’s viewed as a powerful healing and anti-inflammatory agent.
Turquoise Meaning in Western Culture
During the Victorian era, turquoise jewelry became trendy among well-to-do women in the United States and Europe. Cartier helped popularize Persian-inspired turquoise and gold jewelry designs starting in the 1920s.
Although it doesn’t have the same longstanding spiritual symbolism, turquoise jewelry is still widely appreciated in Western culture for its unique color and use in Native American silverwork. The striking blue-green tones have an earthy, bohemian vibe suitable for casual everyday wear.
Some symbolic meanings associated with turquoise in modern Western culture include:
- Youthfulness, vibrancy, vigor
- Creativity, free-spiritedness, spontaneity
- Connection to nature
- Good health, healing
The color turquoise may also be used intentionally to evoke a sense of calm tranquility. We see this design choice in spas, therapy offices, hotels, and other relaxing spaces.
How to Choose Turquoise Jewelry
Genuine natural turquoise varies widely in quality and appearance. Here are a few factors to keep in mind when selecting turquoise jewelry:
- Color – Hues can range from greenish “chalk” turquoise to vivid sky blue “Persian” turquoise. Most prize a bright robin’s egg blue.
- Matrix – This refers to the veining that runs through turquoise. The spiderweb matrix pattern is considered most valuable.
- Tone – Paler turquoise is usually chalkier in quality. Richer sky blue turquoise is higher grade.
- Cut – Cabochons and freeform rough stones better display the color nuances. Avoid heavily treated or dyed material.
- Carat weight – Natural untreated stones over 5 carats are rare. Any large turquoises may be reconstituted or synthetic.
Opt for natural turquoise from reputable dealers. Be wary of fake or treated turquoise stones, which lack the depth and nuanced beauty of genuine material.
Conclusion
With its striking blue-green color palette and matrix patterns, it’s easy to appreciate turquoise simply for its visual beauty. But turquoise is more than just a pretty gemstone. Throughout history, it has carried deep symbolic meaning for different cultures around the world.
Turquoise often represents life, vigor, protection, healing, and spirituality. For Native Americans, Tibetans, Persians, and New Age adherents, wearing turquoise jewelry can invoke a sense of tranquility, intuition, and connection to natural forces. While the specifics vary, the throughline is turquoise as a grounding, empowering influence.
Let turquoise jewelry be your talisman. With its earthy yet soothing palette, each turquoise piece celebrates the junction between mankind and nature. Donning turquoise can remind you of the revitalizing energies of water and open skies.
