Arizona Sleeping Beauty
21st Century and Contemporary American Beaded Necklaces
Freshwater Pearl, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Solitaire Rings
Turquoise, Yellow Gold
2010s American Modern Beaded Necklaces
Diamond, Turquoise, Gold, 14k Gold
2010s American Modern Beaded Necklaces
Turquoise, 14k Gold
2010s European Modern Beaded Necklaces
Opal, Turquoise, Gold, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Balinese Contemporary Drop Earrings
Turquoise, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Balinese Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Balinese Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Turquoise, 18k Gold, Sterling Silver, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Stud Earrings
Turquoise, 22k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Balinese Contemporary Drop Earrings
Turquoise, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Turquoise, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Balinese Contemporary Drop Earrings
Turquoise, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Balinese Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Turquoise, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Balinese Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Turquoise, 18k Gold
2010s American Modern Beaded Necklaces
Turquoise, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary North American Artisan Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Turquoise, Black Diamond, Yellow Gold, White Gold, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Balinese Contemporary Drop Earrings
Turquoise, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Multi-Strand Necklaces
Turquoise, Ruby, Diamond, 14k Gold
Early 2000s American Modernist Beaded Necklaces
Turquoise, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Beaded Necklaces
Turquoise, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Natural Specimens
Crystal
21st Century and Contemporary Egyptian Art Deco Loose Gemstones
Turquoise
21st Century and Contemporary North American Artisan Beaded Necklaces
Spinel, Turquoise, Black Spinel, Multi-gemstone, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
2010s European Modern Beaded Necklaces
Turquoise, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Tennis Bracelets
Diamond, Turquoise, 14k Gold
2010s Tennis Bracelets
Diamond, Turquoise, 14k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Turquoise, 18k Gold, Sterling Silver, Silver
2010s Italian Artisan Multi-Strand Necklaces
Turquoise
2010s Italian Artisan Multi-Strand Necklaces
Turquoise
2010s Italian Artisan Multi-Strand Necklaces
Turquoise
21st Century and Contemporary American Artisan Drop Earrings
Turquoise, 22k Gold
2010s American Beaded Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary British Contemporary Chandelier Earrings
Turquoise, Diamond, 18k Gold
2010s American Modern Dome Rings
White Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Artisan Stud Earrings
Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold, White Gold, Gold
2010s American Contemporary Beaded Necklaces
Turquoise, Gold, 18k Gold
2010s American Modern Beaded Necklaces
14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Art Deco Loose Gemstones
Turquoise
21st Century and Contemporary Egyptian Art Deco Loose Gemstones
Turquoise
21st Century and Contemporary North American Artisan Band Rings
Turquoise, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
2010s Tennis Bracelets
Diamond, Turquoise, 14k Gold, White Gold
Early 2000s American Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Beaded Necklaces
Turquoise, Gold, 18k Gold
2010s North American Modern Beaded Necklaces
Turquoise, Gold
2010s American Modern Beaded Necklaces
Diamond, Turquoise, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Contemporary Stud Earrings
Turquoise, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Stud Earrings
Turquoise, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Balinese Contemporary Drop Earrings
Turquoise, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Balinese Contemporary Drop Earrings
Turquoise, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Turquoise, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Balinese Contemporary Stud Earrings
Turquoise, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Balinese Contemporary Drop Earrings
Turquoise, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Balinese Contemporary Stud Earrings
Turquoise, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Balinese Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Balinese Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Turquoise, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Balinese Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Balinese Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Turquoise, 18k Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Cocktail Rings
Turquoise, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
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Arizona Sleeping Beauty For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Arizona Sleeping Beauty?
The Legacy of Turquoise in Jewelry Design
The thought of vintage and antique turquoise jewelry often conjures up images of striking Navajo bracelets and necklaces worn with a denim shirt and cowboy boots. This all-American look has been celebrated by fashion designers like Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger on their runways and in ad campaigns. In the October 2016 issue of Vogue magazine, Tom Ford said he only wears turquoise jewelry at his Santa Fe ranch. So what is it about this gorgeous blue-green stone that makes us wish that we were born in December?
It’s not surprising that turquoise is abundant in New Mexico and Arizona because, according to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), it needs to be in “dry and barren regions where acidic, copper-rich groundwater seeps downward and reacts with minerals that contain phosphorus and aluminum.
Turquoise is not found in a single crystal but is a combination of microcrystals. Its appearance, waxy and opaque, is attributed to its structure and composition. “It’s an aggregate of microscopic crystals that form a solid mass. If the crystals are packed closely together, the material is less porous, so it has a finer texture. Fine-textured turquoise has an attractive, waxy luster when it’s polished. Turquoise with a less-dense crystal structure has higher porosity and coarser texture, resulting in a dull luster when it’s polished,” notes the GIA. Since no one wants to set a dull piece of turquoise, porous turquoise is often treated to make the stone more attractive.
In the United States, there have been discoveries of turquoise from 200 B.C. It is not just loose turquoise stones that have been found, but entire suites of jewelry from prehistoric times. In the late 19th-century, the Navajo Indians, who learned silversmithing from the Spanish, started to make beads out of turquoise and eventually combined it with silver around the 1880s. Initially this jewelry was for ceremonial purposes, but it became fashionable once the tourism in the Southwest picked up in the beginning of the 20th century.
Find antique and vintage turquoise rings, necklaces, bracelets and other accessories on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertOctober 19, 2021Sleeping Beauty turquoise is a gemstone distinguished by its medium sky-blue color. The finished gemstones have a smooth, glossy finish with little to no veining. Shop for a range of elegant Sleeping Beauty turquoise jewelry from top sellers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Sleeping Beauty turquoise is a sky or robin’s egg blue with little to no matrix, such as spots or veins. Sleeping Beauty is mined in Globe, Arizona. Due to the softness of the stone, jewelry made with Sleeping Beauty turquoise can be hard to find. On 1stDibs, shop a selection of turquoise jewelry, including Sleeping Beauty pieces.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022No, Sleeping Beauty turquoise has not been mined since 2012. The end of active mining for this Arizona specialty has only increased the demand by collectors. On 1stDibs, shop a collection of expertly-vetted Sleeping Beauty turquoise jewelry from some of the world’s top sellers.