Evening star., 1915-12-18
TURQUO|S HIGHLY PRICED
BY ANC|ENTS AS CHARM
Down to Present Day Has Found
Many Ornamental and Re- .
ligious Uses. !

The division OF mineralogy OF the
United States National Museum in this
city has on exhibition a large collec-
tion OF the gem known as turquoise. In
the exhibits of the division Of anthro-
pology additional specimens are to be
| seen. which fact goes to vouch for its
| historical value and Its close relations
| to the life of man. DR.. Joseph e.
Pogue. late OF the museum staff. has
made an exhaustive study of this min
| eral. which recently has been pub
| lished.
The turquoise is an Opaque mineral
color. since 1t lacks the brilliant luster
| which forms the chief charm OF trans
| parent gems Specimens Of the finest
quality possess a soft and pleasing
! called in the trade sky blue or robins
egg blue. but the value is often lessen
| ed by a greenish cast. while in many
| stones the green predominates. 1t oc-
where 1t is readily found and mined.
Being but slightly harder than glass.
1t may be worked with ease. even
by primitive people who possess only the
| crudest tools.
colored by Copper and Iron.
! Chemically the turquoise Is a phos.
l HA1NeS ~ dihiiiHulil carrying Sfndi1
quantities of copper and iron, to which
it's color is due. With variscite,
green mineral of similar character. but
less value and beauty, 1t is the only
phosphate to find place among the
| precious stones. This stone usually is
! formed by the percolation of surface
water through aluminous rocks con-
| tanning apatite and disseminated cop
per minerals.
| Although at the present day this
| stone is outranked by the diamond,
ruby. sapphire and other gems among
| the civilized peoples. with semi civilized
peoples 1t takes foremost rank. its
value depending not only upon its in
| trinsic worth. but also upon the mystic
properties and religious significance 1t
| is supposed to possess. 1t Is the most
highly priced possession Of the Navajo
| Indian Of the deserts of Arizona and the
Bedouin of the plains of Arabia, while
the Tibetan and Mongolian natives es-
TEEN this gem no less than do the Hopi
| and Zuni pueblo dwellers in our own
| southwest.
From the dawn of civilization down
to the present day the turquoise has
| variety of ornamental and religious
| uses. Not only was 1t always held in
high esteem, but 1t was frequently In
vested with marvellous virtues. many
early writer's attributing great medi-
| cinal value to it.
The mineral probably was known in
Europe even prior to the beginning Of
the Christian era. During the middle
ages and thereafter, Europeans es.
| teemed this Persian stone. which came
to them by way of Turkey. and II prob
ably was named accordingly: drst the
Turkey stone. and then the turquoise.
Found In But Few Places.
Turquoise occurs in but few places on
the globe. most OF them barren and
1 T. ~.fo xrxk .
has been found prehistoric mining
sites also have been discovered. show
| ing that the ancients knew nearly all
| the localities of this interesting stone.
1 Productive deposits are found In Asia,
notably at Nishapur. in Persia, long the
and at several places in Central Asia
On the Sinai peninsula, the historical
wilderness Of the children of Israel.
which connects Arabia and Egypt. are
| remains of extensive workings execut-
ed during the Egyptian era. but now
practically exhausted. The southwest
ern portion OF the United States has
recently become an important source.
| California, Nevada and Colorado now
producing stones which rival the Per-
| sian gems.
| The natives Of Central America are
| said to have inlaid their teeth with
| turquoises.
| Alphabetically the turquoise has q
| long and curious history both with the
ancients and the ignorant Of today.
Its color. varying from blue to green.
was significant for ages as representa-.
tive Of the sky, sea and vereue. and.
together with Its tendency to alter its
| shade, bespoke for this stone a power
within itself. This latter rover made
1t fascinating at least, end seems to
!! have given 1t a certain barometric VAL
ne as an index for weather forecast
ing.
In what Is known as the near east Il
was paramount to health and success;
it averted evil, dispelled fear, augment.
ed wealth. preserved health, insured
victory, happiness and dreamless sleep,