Turquoise Jewelry
21st Century and Contemporary American Georgian Turquoise Jewelry
Garnet, Turquoise, Vermeil, Sterling Silver, Gilt Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Georgian Turquoise Jewelry
Cultured Pearl, Natural Pearl, Ruby, Pink Sapphire, Turquoise, Sterling ...
Late 19th Century American Victorian Antique Turquoise Jewelry
Amazonite, Pearl, Cultured Pearl, Topaz, Turquoise, Vermeil, Sterling Si...
Late 19th Century American Victorian Antique Turquoise Jewelry
Carnelian, Moonstone, Freshwater Pearl, Turquoise, Vermeil, Sterling Sil...
Early 19th Century American Georgian Antique Turquoise Jewelry
Agate, Moonstone, Turquoise, Gold Plate, Pinchbeck
2010s North American Contemporary Turquoise Jewelry
Aquamarine, Moonstone, Zircon, Gold, 14k Gold, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold
1920s American Native American Vintage Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
19th Century British Victorian Antique Turquoise Jewelry
Onyx, 9k Gold, Yellow Gold
1970s Retro Vintage Turquoise Jewelry
Yellow Sapphire, Green Sapphire, Sapphire, Pearl, Diamond, Amethyst, 14k...
Early 20th Century Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, Yellow Gold
1980s European Vintage Turquoise Jewelry
Gold Plate
2010s American Contemporary Turquoise Jewelry
Diamond, Yellow Diamond, Pearl, 14k Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s American Turquoise Jewelry
Coral, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
19th Century Unknown Victorian Antique Turquoise Jewelry
Coral, Gold, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Turquoise Jewelry
Moonstone, Rainbow Moonstone, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Artisan Turquoise Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, 14k Gold, Vermeil
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Turquoise Jewelry
Moonstone, Druzy, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Turquoise Jewelry
Cultured Pearl, Turquoise, Amethyst, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Byzantine Turquoise Jewelry
Sapphire, Turquoise, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Artisan Turquoise Jewelry
Opal, Turquoise, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Artisan Turquoise Jewelry
Chrysophrase, Turquoise, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Artisan Turquoise Jewelry
Chalcedony, Opal, Turquoise, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Artisan Turquoise Jewelry
Chrysophrase, Lapis Lazuli, Turquoise, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Turquoise Jewelry
Cultured Pearl, Turquoise, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Victorian Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise, Amethyst, Citrine, Diamond, Topaz, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Artisan Turquoise Jewelry
Chrysophrase, Lapis Lazuli, Peridot, Pink Sapphire, Spinel, Topaz, Turqu...
21st Century and Contemporary American Artisan Turquoise Jewelry
Chrysophrase, Lapis Lazuli, Turquoise, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Turquoise Jewelry
Sapphire, Turquoise, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Victorian Turquoise Jewelry
Cultured Pearl, Turquoise, Vermeil, 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.