Turquoise Jewelry
2010s American Baroque Turquoise Jewelry
Marcasite, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Baroque Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Victorian Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, 14k Gold, Sterling Silver
19th Century American High Victorian Antique Turquoise Jewelry
Garnet, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Victorian Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Early Victorian Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Baroque Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Baroque Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
19th Century American High Victorian Antique Turquoise Jewelry
Garnet, Turquoise, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
2010s American Victorian Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise
2010s American Renaissance Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Rococo Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Artist Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Baroque Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, Topaz, Sterling Silver
2010s American Victorian Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, 14k Gold, Sterling Silver, Gold
2010s American Baroque Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Art Nouveau Turquoise Jewelry
Garnet, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Victorian Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Baroque Turquoise Jewelry
Amethyst, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Turquoise Jewelry
14k Gold, White Gold
1990s North American Native American Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary German Contemporary Turquoise Jewelry
Agate, Chalcedony, Sterling Silver
20th Century Native American Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
1960s European Vintage Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Turquoise Jewelry
Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold, Sterling Silver
20th Century American Native American Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century American Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century French Belle Époque Turquoise Jewelry
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artisan Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s North American Native American Vintage Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Baroque Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
19th Century American Renaissance Antique Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Baroque Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, Sterling Silver, Vermeil
21st Century and Contemporary American Rococo Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, 14k Gold, Gold, Silver, Sterling Silver
2010s American Art Nouveau Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Art Nouveau Turquoise Jewelry
Amethyst, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Rococo Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Artist Turquoise Jewelry
Diamond, Turquoise, 14k Gold, Sterling Silver
2010s American Rococo Turquoise Jewelry
Citrine, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Baroque Turquoise Jewelry
Citrine, Natural Pearl, Topaz, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Early Victorian Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s American Artist Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Vintage and Antique Turquoise Jewelry
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.