THE COLOUR TURQUOISE

MEANING

Turquoise, a blend of the colour blue and the colour green, has some of the same cool and calming attributes. The colour turquoise represents freshness, energy and wisdom. It symbolises serenity, wholeness, emotional balance and creativity and is associated with friendship, joy, intuition and loyalty.

HISTORY

The colour turquoise is based on the gem of the same name. The word turquoise dates to the 17th century and is derived from the French turquois meaning "Turkish" because the mineral was first brought to Europe through Turkey from mines in the historical Khorasan province of Iran (Persia) and Afghanistan. The first recorded use of turquoise as a colour name in English was in 1573.

The mineral turquoise is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gem and ornamental stone for thousands of years owing to its unique hue.

In many cultures of the Old and New Worlds, this gemstone has been esteemed for thousands of years as a holy stone, a bringer of good fortune or a talisman. The oldest evidence for this claim was found in ancient Egypt, where grave furnishings with turquoise inlay were discovered, dating from approximately 3000BC. In the ancient Persian Empire, the sky-blue gemstones were earlier worn round the neck or wrist as protection against unnatural death. If they changed colour, the wearer was thought to have reason to fear the approach of doom. The change of colour in a turquoise stone can be caused by light, or by a chemical reaction brought about by cosmetics, dust, or the acidity of the skin.

Turquoise is a stone and colour that is strongly associated with the domes and interiors of large mosques in Iran, Central Asia, and Russia.

Turquoise was a ceremonial gem and a medium of exchange for Native American tribes in the southwestern US. They also used it in their jewellery and amulets. The Apaches believed that turquoise attached to a bow or firearm increased a hunter’s or warrior’s accuracy.

Panels of turquoise, along with lapis lazuli and quartz, line the death mask of Tutankhamun, now housed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The discovery of the mask in 1925 led to a boom in Europe in jewellery and art inspired by the rich strips of colourful stone, juxtaposed with shining gold. 

In the 1950s growth and optimism led to pastels being popular in the home.  Turquoise was popular as it celebrated the connection to nature and provided a colourful backdrop for mid-century décor with a heavy wood finish.

Turquoise is plentiful and available in a wide range of sizes. It’s used for beads, cabochons, carvings, and inlays. Although well known to consumers, its popularity in the mainstream jewellery industry comes and goes.

TURQUOISE AND BRANDING

Turquoise is a transformational colour, embodying its spectral position between the contemplative security of blue and the organic ease of green. It suggests clarity of thought and communication.

It suggests creativity and self-expression. Turquoise is often found in brands centred on communication, including education, media, and computer technology. It is an ideal colour for cleaning products as it evokes cleanliness and purity without being too sterile.