The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1886-05-22
THE TURQUOISE.
Where 1t Is Found and Why It
Is Losing It's Value.

There are few gems more commonly
seen on jewelry than the blue turquoise.
Its beauty, its scrviceable hardness, its
pleasing contrast with gold and its
moderate price, explain why it is SO
much esteemed, Only a few excep-
~tlonally fine specimens of the stone
rank with the erich and rare gems.
In the unlikely event of Persia being at
war with all the rest of the world, it
would, no doubt, become scarce and
dear outside the dominion of the Shah,
since it is only in that country that the
mineral in a state fit for the jewelers.
purpose i found. Much and widely
as the turquoise is used for personal
ornaments, the supply has for some
tlmc considerably exceeded the demand
except Tor tine stones of an uncommon
size. But, as is the case with all
precious stones, unusually large pieces
those approaching the size Of a hazel
nut. for eXample--when of good quail
ty, are eagerly sought after, and have
a high intrinsic value.
The turquoise has in I'll likelihood
been used is a gem from avery remote
antiquity, since the range of mountains
whore it is plentifully found is situated
at no great distance from the southern
shores Of the Caspian Sea, heal to, if
not within, the area believed by many
to have been the cradle of the human
race. BY some scholars, it is thought
highly probable that the turquoise was
used for inlaying the delicate and
beautiful gold-work of ancient Greece:
and at all events, there is q cameo
portrait of a classic Greek Prince in
this mineral among the specimens in
the famous collection of Marlborough
gems, There is some doubt about the
name this precious stone was known
by in pIiny's time. He mentions that
the ~ra1I0jS, which was probably the
turquoise, was found in Asia, where it
occurred projecting from the surface
OF inaccessible rocks, whence it was
obtained by means of sings; but these
We're the days of fables. That it was
known to the ancient Romans is, how
ever, proved by the fact that there still
some, though only a very few, of
their works Of art cut in this mineral.
Want Of certainty about the namn
applied to the turquoise in classic times
leaves us in doubt as to what mystic
were then attributed to it. But
in the middle ages the turquoise, like
other gems, WAS believed to have won
derful properties; indeed, it was credit
ed with more supernatural virtues than
most of them. The wearer Of it had
both his sight strengthened and his
cheered; he enjoyed immunity
from the consequences Of a fall by the
rem itself breaking, in order to save
lis bones, and his turquoise, like him
self, turned pale if he became sick.
When its possessor died it entirely lost
is color, but recovered it again ON pass
ng into the hands of a new owner. In
'ome mysterious way, when suspended
~ a string, it correctly struck the
hours on the inside of a glass vessel.
Other precious stones have lost all the
marvellous powers that belonged to
hem for centuries; the emerald no
onger relieves the fatigued eyesight;
he diamond can not now dispel fear;
he sapphire, though still cold to the
ouch, has ceased to be able to extin-
fire. In these perverse days the
lail-storm comes down upon the wear
r Of an amethyst, and bright red coral
.ttracts rather than repels robbers.
'ut the turquoise still retains one Of
Is mysterious properties, and faunts
in the face of modern science. Some
ines slowly, sometimes suddenly, it
naccountably turns pale, becomes
or changes from blue to white; {
nd specimens that behave in this ca
ricious manner are found more com (
lonly than those whose color is dis
nctIy permanent I
The turquoise is called in chemical
lnguage a hydrated phosphate of t
This means that it consists f
Iainly of phosphoric acid and alum c
IA, along with nearly twenty per cent. i
water. It owes its color to small 9
1antities of compounds of copper and :
on. 1t occur blue, green and blush c
reen; but the change to a pale, q
ottled, or white color, which inferior s.
rquoises undergo, generally takes il
ace soon after they are taken from v
mine. These colors are opaque, n
only very slightly translucent, and Y