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Turquoise often makes people first think of American Indians. At least most people in the United States. American Indians LOVE turquoise! It is used in American Indian jewelry and absolutely gorgeous.

When I was about eight years old, I remember driving through Nevada with my family. We stopped by this little booth on the side of the road and my dad bought each of us (my sisters, mom and I) a hand-made turquoise necklace. So naturally I associate turquoise with American Indians.

Surprisingly, the earliest known use of turquoise was in—drum roll—ancient Egypt. Not a big surprise there. Those Egyptians should have had a jewelry god! Maybe they did…they never cease to amaze me with their jewelry abilities.

Turquoise made its way around Europe before ever appearing in the Americas. Seeing as it has been such a large player in the jewelry market since 5500 B.C. it will certainly continue to make a statement today and in the future. Check our online jewelry auction daily for gorgeous turquoise jewelry.

When you hear the word “turquoise” most people first think of American Indians. At least most people in the United States. American Indians LOVE turquoise. They use it all their jewelry. I remember driving through Nevada with my family when I was about eight years old—we stopped by this little booth on the side of the road. These Indian women were selling jewelry they had made and my dad bought me a turquoise pendant necklace, which I still have today. So naturally I associate turquoise with American Indians.

Interestingly enough, the earliest known use of turquoise was in—drum roll—ancient Egypt. Not a big surprise there. Those Egyptians should have had a jewelry god! They never cease to amaze me with their jewelry abilities.

Turquoise then made its way around Europe before ever appearing in the Americas. Seeing as it has been such a large player in the jewelry market since 5500 B.C. you can know that it will continue to make a statement today and in the future. Check our online jewelry auction daily for gorgeous pieces.

Though an amulet is not often worn today, they are representative of ancient Egyptian jewelry. This piece is circa 254 BCE and is gold adorned with lapis lazuli, turquoise, carnelian.

“An amulet is an object, usually worn, that is considered to have powers that will protect the person. In many cases, the amulet is the same as a talisman; but a talisman may be carried, where an amulet is usually worn. Both the amulet and the talisman are considered to be protection against some form of evil and are common to numerous cultures ancient and present. However, faith in the amulet or talisman was often greater for many in past times, when more folkloric beliefs were accepted.

In Ancient Egypt the amulet might depict gods, hieroglyphics or certain revered animals, carved out of precious stones. These amulets were generally worn during life. After death the amulet was still worn as protection in the afterlife.”
from Wikipedia