Introduction to the Meaning and Uses

Turquoise is perhaps the oldest stone in man’s history, the talisman of kings, shamans, and warriors. It is a stone of protection, strong and opaque, yet soothing to the touch, healing to the eye, as if carved from an azure heaven and slipped to earth. Its unique shade of blue, often blue-green, lends it name, Turquoise, to all things of this tranquil hue. The delicate veining or mottled webbing in cream or brown is inherent to the stone and serves to enhance its character.

The name Turquoise is derived from the French, pierre turquoise, meaning “Turkish stone,” because the trade routes that brought Turquoise to Europe from the mines in central Asia went through Turkey, and Venetian merchants often purchased the stone in Turkish bazaars.

For thousands of years, Turquoise has spanned all cultures, prized as a symbol of wisdom, nobility and the power of immortality. Among the Ancient Egyptians, Persians and Chinese, Aztecs and Incas of South America, and Native North Americans, Turquoise was sacred in its adornment and for power, luck, and protection.

Turquoise beads dating back to 5000 B.C. have been found in Iraq, and the Egyptians were mining the stones in the Sinai in 3200 B.C. The death mask of Tutankhamun was studded with Turquoise, as were the mosaic masks dedicated to the gods, the fabulous inlaid skulls, shields and power statues of Moctezuma, the last ruler of the Aztecs.  

For nearly a thousand years, Native Americans have mined and fashioned Turquoise, using it to guard their burial sites. Their gems have been found from Argentina to New Mexico. Indian priests wore it in ceremonies when calling upon the great spirit of the sky. Many honored Turquoise as the universal stone, believing their minds would become one with the universe when wearing it. Because of its ability to change colors, it was used in prophesy or divining. To the prehistoric Indian, Turquoise, worn on the body or used in ceremonies always signified the god of the sky alive in the earth.

Uses and Purposes - Overview

For centuries Turquoise has been recognized as possessing the power to protect riders from injury due to falls. First used as amulets by Turkish soldiers, on their persons and attached to their bridles and trappings, it later came to be used for protection against falls of any kind. Turquoise is also reputed to be influenced by the physical condition of the person who wears it. It is thought to grow pale when its owner is sick or sad, lose all color when the person dies, and gradually recover its color when transferred to a new healthy owner, its color deepening each day.

Historically, Turquoise is credited with the property of securing friendly regard, verifying the traditional saying that “he, or she, who owns a Turquoise will never want for a friend.” [Fernie, 37] In the Orient, a Turquoise ring was worn as a protector against all things evil. The proverb states: “Given by a loving hand it brings with it happiness and good fortune.” However, the ring emitted protective energy only if the stone was given by a friend. It was believed to restore clear vision to the mind when the thinking became muddled and thus ensured good fortune.

Turquoise has always been valued as an ornamental gem, often considered a symbol of male power. Anselmus de Boot, court physician of Emperor Rudolph II, wrote in 1609 that Turquoise was so highly regarded by men that no man considered his hand to be well adorned unless he wore a fine Turquoise. Today, we know Turquoise empowers men and women equally, and worn or carried, it is a talisman of luck, success, ambition and creativity.

In the workplace, Turquoise promotes leadership, assists relocation or regular travel associated with career, and helps avoid unwise investments. It helps overcome writer’s block, and is a stone of clear communication when giving information; an especially good amulet for those who work in the law, or for local or central government. Turquoise is especially recommended for accountants and computer operators for mental relaxation, for those who work in radio or television to release anxiety, and for laborers to protect from bodily harm.

As a crystal for travel, Turquoise protects you and your possessions against theft, loss or attack, helps prevent accidents, especially falls, and even guards your pet.  Attached to a collar, bridle, or cage, Turquoise prevents animals from straying or being stolen, and makes horses sure-footed and obedient to their riders.  

Turquoise is a stone for self-forgiveness, self-acceptance and the release of useless regrets. It encourages us to honor ourselves as a creation and a tool of the Divine.

Physical Healing Energy

Turquoise is a strengthening stone, good for exhaustion, depression, or panic attacks. It enhances physical and psychic immune systems, supporting the assimilation of nutrients, alleviating pollution and viral infections. It is anti-inflammatory and detoxifying, reducing excess acidity and benefiting gout, rheumatism, and the stomach.

Turquoise assists in problems of the brain, eyes, ears, neck and throat, especially cataracts, migraines and headaches, and problems with balance.

Turquoise is helpful to the respiratory system and aids in healing lung disorders and allergies. Wearing a Turquoise necklace helps prevent tracheitis and other bronchial attacks. By healing the breath, this stone may cure speech disorders such as stammering.

Emotional Healing Energy

Turquoise is a most efficient healer, providing solace for the spirit and well-being for the body.  It benefits the overall mood and emotion by balancing and inducing a sense of serenity and peace. Holding or wearing Turquoise helps restore depleted vitality and lifts sagging spirits. It relieves stress and brings focus back to the center heart. [Simmons, 420] It is empathetic and balancing, helping one to recognize the causes of happiness and unhappiness, and to master them.

As a stone of purification, Turquoise dispels negative energy and clears electromagnetic smog from the environment. It promotes self-realization and aids in creative problem-solving, thus calming the nerves when speaking in public. It helps stabilize mood swings, and dissolves a martyred attitude of self-sabotage. It is also empowering if you feel bullied or suffer prejudice. Because it soothes the mind, Turquoise is good for jet lag and fears of flying.

Tibetan Turquoise is an excellent anti-hysteria stone, worn to calm those with a tendency to over-react to situations. It is also beneficial for narcissism, to help one look outside their own needs and to be open to other's point of view.

Chakra Healing and Balancing Energies

Turquoise strengthens the meridians of the body and the subtle energy fields, enhancing communication between the physical and spiritual worlds. Placed on the Third Eye, it supports intuition and meditation. On the Throat Chakra, it releases old vows, inhibitions, and allows the soul to express itself once more. It explores past lives and regards fate as ongoing and dependant on one's action at any moment.

Turquoise is a stone for finding wholeness and truth, and communicating and manifesting those qualities. It stimulates and harmonizes the Throat Chakra, making it easier to articulate and bring forth one's deepest wisdom. Turquoise empowers those who are shy about sharing their understanding and aids in the knowledge that in speaking from the wholeness of our being, we each have something important to contribute to the collective.

Spiritual Energies

In traditional thought, Turquoise unites the earth and sky, bringing together male and female energies. Turquoise stimulates the initiation of romantic love, and promotes spontaneity in romantic issues. It is believed to change color to warn of impending danger or to indicate infidelity in thought or action.

Spiritually, Turquoise heals and cleanses both the energy centers and the physical body. It acts to induce wisdom and understanding, and to enhance trust, kindness, and the recognition of beauty.  What we wish for ourselves -- happiness, love, freedom of limitation and fear -- when extended to others by letting go of our insistence of “justice” and viewing others through compassion and forgiveness, we receive those gifts back through our own heart.

Turquoise enhances the ability to see all aspects of ourselves, good and bad, and to integrate these aspects into a cohesive whole. While it is tempting to try and rid ourselves of the traits of self that are not entirely enlightened, Turquoise, like an ancient Grandfather ally, reminds us that all experiences are valid and that mistakes are simply another experience. Wholeness can only come when we are willing to embrace all of who we are and what we have learned.

These statements have not been evaluated by FDA and are not intended to prevent, cure or treat disease.