Untreated Turquoise
2010s Beaded Bracelets
Pearl, Turquoise
Early 20th Century Dangle Earrings
Turquoise, 14k Gold, Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s German Beaded Bracelets
Turquoise
2010s American Native American Fashion Rings
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Native American Fashion Rings
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Drop Earrings
South Sea Pearl, Turquoise, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century American Native American Beaded Necklaces
Coral, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Chinese Anglo-Indian Cocktail Rings
Turquoise, Silver, Enamel, Gilt Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Turquoise, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
Mid-20th Century Modern Bracelets
Turquoise, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1930s European Art Deco Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold
2010s American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Native American Rope Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Native American Dangle Earrings
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Native American Dangle Earrings
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century American Fashion Rings
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Native American Fashion Rings
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Artisan Signet Rings
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Native American Dangle Earrings
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
20th Century American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Native American Dangle Earrings
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s Canadian Native American Dangle Earrings
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Native American Fashion Rings
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1950s American Native American Cuff Bracelets
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Chinese Art Deco Beaded Necklaces
Coral, Turquoise, Silver
2010s American Native American Fashion Rings
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Native American Fashion Rings
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Native American Fashion Rings
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Native American Fashion Rings
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Dome Rings
Diamond, Pearl, Turquoise, Blue Topaz, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Pearl, Turquoise, Platinum
2010s American Natural Specimens
Rock Crystal
2010s American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Native American Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Dangle Earrings
Turquoise, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Stud Earrings
Diamond, Pearl, Turquoise, White Gold
Late 20th Century Dutch Modern Beaded Necklaces
Diamond, Turquoise, Amethyst, 14k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century European Drop Earrings
Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold
Vintage 1950s European Contemporary Beaded Necklaces
Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century American Modern Beaded Necklaces
Diamond, Turquoise, Emerald, Blue Sapphire, Sapphire, 14k Gold
Early 20th Century Chinese Anglo-Indian Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Silver
Early 20th Century Chinese Anglo-Indian Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Pearl, Turquoise, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Cocktail Rings
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Turquoise, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Engagement Rings
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Turquoise, White Gold
Early 20th Century Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Turquoise, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Drop Earrings
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Turquoise, White Gold
Mid-20th Century Link Bracelets
Turquoise, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
Mid-20th Century Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Turquoise, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary North American Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Cocktail Rings
Turquoise, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1950s Contemporary Beaded Necklaces
Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold
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Untreated Turquoise For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Untreated Turquoise?
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.