Earth Notes: For the Love of Turquoise

Jul 08, 2023

What could be rarer than diamonds? Turquoise, actually! Natural gemstone-grade turquoise happens to be one of the rarest natural materials on our planet, and one that has been celebrated, collected, and coveted worldwide. Here in the Southwest, turquoise holds special significance to many Native cultures.

Turquoise is found on six continents. It forms in arid regions where water seeps through rock interacting with copper, aluminum, and iron deposits. Worldwide, turquoise has been used as a stone of protection, from the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs, to the Shahs of Persia… from prayer beads of Tibet, to the crowns of the church elite in Europe, and the ceremonial masks of Mayan, Aztecan, and Mixtec cultures.

From the beginning of time people have been fascinated with adornment. Much of the knowledge we have of pre-European-contact jewelry in the Southwest comes from excavations of Ancestral Puebloan, Mogollon, and Hohokam archaeological sites. They contain the oldest known turquoise finds in the U.S.—some more than a thousand years old.

Nevada has had the most numerous turquoise deposits, but the Colorado Plateau region is home to the largest concentration of turquoise artifacts. Well over 200,000 pieces of turquoise have been documented at various sites in Chaco Canyon alone. Turquoise, often embedded into jewelry and figurines, was highly significant in Puebloan culture.

Today turquoise continues to be a cultural cornerstone among many Tribes of the region including Santo Domingo, Hopi, Navajo, Zuni, and others who have developed distinctive jewelry styles. Used decoratively for millennia, this iconic stone continues to be worn, cherished, and celebrated in the Southwest and across the globe.