You are likely to find exactly the gem turquoise you’re looking for on 1stDibs, as there is a broad range for sale. Each design created in this style — which was crafted with great care and often made from
Gold,
18k Gold and
Yellow Gold — can elevate any look. Our collection of these items for sale includes 104 vintage editions and 68 modern creations to choose from as well. You’re likely to find the perfect gem turquoise among the distinctive items we have available, which includes versions made as long ago as the 19th Century as well as those produced as recently as the 21st Century. Creating a gem turquoise has been a part of the legacy of many jewelers, but those produced by
Sarosi By Timeless Gems,
Frederique Berman and
Cartier are consistently popular. Today, if you’re looking for a
cabochon version of this piece and are unable to find the perfect match, our selection also includes
round cut and
mixed cut alternatives. Most of our gem turquoise for sale are for
women, but there are 53 pieces available to browse for
men.
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.