Turquoise (color)

Turquoise gemstones

Main article: Turquoise

Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8**·**4H2O. It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gem and ornamental stone for thousands of years owing to its unique hue.

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 or a talisman. The oldest evidence for this claim was found in ancient Egypt, where grave furnishings with turquoise inlay were discovered, dating from approximately 3000 BCE. In the ancient Persian Empire, the sky-blue gemstones were earlier worn round the neck or wrist as protection against unnatural death. If they changed color, the wearer was thought to have reason to fear the approach of doom. Meanwhile, it has been discovered that turquoise can change color. The change can be caused by light, or by a chemical reaction brought about by cosmetics, dust, or the acidity of the skin.

Turquoise is a stone and color that is strongly associated with the domes and interiors of large mosques in Iran, Central Asia, and Russia. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603121910/http://herald.dawn.com/2012/11/20/tradition-of-the-tile.html |archive-date=3 June 2013

Variations

Celeste

Main article: Sky blue#Celeste

Celeste is a sky blue turquoise.

Light turquoise

Light turquoise is a lighter tone of turquoise.

Turquoise blue

Turquoise blue is close to turquoise on the color wheel, but slightly more blue.

The first recorded use of turquoise blue as a color name in English was in 1900.

Medium turquoise

This is the web color medium turquoise.

Dark turquoise

This is the web color dark turquoise.

Bright turquoise

This is the color bright turquoise.

Notes

References

References

1. Beale, Thomas W.. (1973-10-01). "Early trade in highland Iran: A view from a source area". [[World Archaeology]].
2. {{Mindat
3. "Turquoise".
4. Maerz and Paul (1930). ''A Dictionary of Color''. New York: McGraw-Hill. p. 206; Color Sample of Turquoise [green]: Page 73, Plate 25, Color Sample I5.