Turquoise Meaning

Turquoise is a stone of great wisdom. It enhances communication between this world and the spiritual worlds. It has a purifying essence and protects us from negative outside influences. Turquoise sends a cool refreshing energy into us when we feel spiritually tired and need to be nourished and restored to our selves. It balances and aligns the chakras and meridians, as well as our male and female energies. Turquoise helps us to express our Truth clearly and confidently, while also being open to new ideas. Turquoise invites us to continually learn and grow, becoming steadily more masterful over the course of our lives. It encourages compassion, generosity, and kindness towards all beings. Bright blue stones are thought to have ‘male’ energy and evoke the expansive sky, while green ones are thought to have ‘female’ energy and evoke the rich Earth.

Turquoise is an exquisite balancing stone for the emotions, helping us to feel peaceful and at ease. It reduces stress and gives us fresh energy to tackle any challenges we may be facing. Turquoise gently dissolves any impulses for self-sabotage and martyrdom, instead inviting us to seek out elegant solutions to any problems we might have and to act in accordance with our Highest Good. Turquoise encourages self-forgiveness, acceptance, and love. It helps us to let go of regret and to be open to receiving love from others. Turquoise also helps us to forgive others for their transgressions, and be more understanding of the bigger picture. Blue stones are particularly good for being able to communicate openly and honestly about difficult emotional topics.  Green ones encourages us to speak for the heart and be honest and sincere, especially when discussing emotionally sensitive topics.

Turquoise reveals how our own actions have influenced events in our lives, showing us that in many ways we are ‘masters of our own fate’. Turquoise encourages both intuition and logic, helping us to have clearer foresight about future events so we can adjust our present course accordingly. It inspires creativity and enables us to work for long periods of time peacefully. Turquoise encourages us to take care of ourselves, physically and emotionally, so that we don’t work ourselves into an exhaustion and so we can continue to work and give of ourselves in a way that is healthy and satisfying. Blue stones, in particular, encourages the mind to stay focused on a single important task and do it well.  Green stones reminds us to move forward steadily and surely, rather than frantically rushing. It asks us to give ourselves time to grow and our projects time to bear fruit.

Turquoise is recommended when everything feels like too much. It helps us to calm down when our sensory perceptions feel too acute or when physical pain feels more dramatic than it normally would be. Turquoise encourages us to relax, to take a few deep breaths and to act sensibly to sooth our body and flustered nerves. For example, we might need to have a glass of water, get in a warm bath, go for a walk or distract ourselves with some easy entertainment. Turquoise is a fantastic talisman when we are dealing with diseases that scare or stress us out. It is also a great talisman when we are dealing with inflammation, auto-immune disorders, stress-headaches and sensory problems, especially those related to eye-sight.

Turquoise forms in arid desert regions, during the weathering and oxidation process of pre-existing minerals.  For Turquoise to form, the right combination of minerals has to be in an area, exposed to the elements.  Turquoise requires a combination of Copper-sulfide materials (which typically is found in minerals like: Azurite, Chalcopyrite, or Malachite), Aluminum minerals (typically Feldspar minerals like Fuchsite), and Phosphorus (typically from Apatite).  Turquoise usually fills or encrusts cavities and veins in igneous rocks.  Generally, it appears at a relatively shallow depth of less than 20 meters (66 feet).

Turquoise’s energy works well with its “friends” – crystal associates formed in the same geological environment.  Try it in combination with Chrysocolla and Pyrite.

Turquoise has been beloved for thousands of years in multiple locations around the world.  As a result, it has some of the very oldest traditions of any healing stone.  The name comes from the French phrase, pierre turquoise, or “Turkish Stone”.  During the Medieval period, the Turks were responsible for introducing Persian  and Central Asian Turquoise into Europe, via Venetian merchants.  Persian Turquoise is considered to be some of the finest in the world.

The earliest known Turquoise jewelry dates back to the very dawn of civilization.  Four bracelets made of Gold, Turquoise, Lapis Lazuli, and Amethyst were found in the First Dynasty tomb of Pharaoh Djer and his Queen Nakhtneith (c.3300 BCE).  The bracelets were found on a mummified arm, presumed to be female, and often regarded as the Queen’s.  They are often incorrectly attribute to a “Queen Zar (5500 BCE).”  Presumably this error is because Pharaoh Djar’s name is sometimes translated as Zar, and while Egyptian history dates back about 5000 years from today, royal history began in the 3000 BCE.   The bracelets are now in the Cairo Museum.

The Sinai Turquoise mine was one of the most extensively documented and organized mining operations of the ancient world.  It produced a more blue-green, rather than the sky-blue hues found in Persia or Central Asia.  Egyptian records dating as far back as the reign of Pharaoh Semerkhet (c.2961 BCE), describe the Sinai Turquoise mine as requiring thousands of laborers.  The Turquoise extracted was used to make jewelry and ornaments ranging from weapon hilts to amulets, and was sometimes even used to decorate royal thrones.  According to Egyptian papyri records, Turquoise was connected to numerous deities, including Amun and Isis, and was a particularly valuable amulet for protecting and healing the eyes.

In Nepal, Turquoise is widely used for jewelry and decorations, along with Red Coral.  Turquoise is believed to hold both spiritual and protective qualities and was used in a variety of ceremonies.  For example, in traditional Tibetan marriage ceremonies, it is affixed to an arrow and carried on the back of the bride, to protect her and ensure that she is guided forward in a manner that will best serve her and her family.

Mesoamerican Turquoise was mined as early as 200 CE and used by the Mayans and the Aztecs for decorative and spiritual purposes.   Highly-polished chips were used to create marvelous mosaics.  The Aztec mosaics are particularly impressive and consist of many thousands of stones.  These mosaics encrusted shields, helmets, jewelry, cult statues, and elaborate masks.  The gem was valued so highly that the most important Aztec deity, the solar god, Xiuhlecuhtli, name translates to “Lord of Turquoise”.  The Aztec buried their dead with a small bead of Turquoise in their mouth, so that they would have a gift for the gods when the deceased arrived in the afterlife.

Archaeological evidence shows that Native American tribes have been mining Turquoise in the American Southwest for at least a millennium, if not far longer.  As in other cultures, the stone was used for decorations and shamanic purposes, as well as being a valuable trade good.  Southwestern tribes, particularly the Navajo, Zuni, Apache, Hopi, and Pueblo peoples consider Turquoise to be a protective stone and one that bestows ‘goodness’ on its owner.  Bright blue stone is believed to be ‘male’ and is associated with Father Sky, while green ones are ‘female’ and represents Mother Earth.  Historically, Blue Turquoise was given to boys and used to decorate their cradle boards to help them grow into strong warriors.  Turquoise of both colors were considered essential components to the Medicine Bag of any great healer or shaman.

Navajo shamans famously used Turquoise in rain making ceremonies, by throwing the stone into a swift-moving river, or else holding it under running water. Turquoise is also tied to prayer sticks and is said to give shamans the ability to control and command the winds.  Today, many Southwestern tribes use the stone for cloud-bursting and as decorations on rainmaking sticks.  According to Apache lore, the most powerful Turquoise can be found at the end of a rainbow, where the ground is still moist from rain.  Such stones should be affixed to rifles or arrows, and will increase accuracy in hunting and warfare.  After his first successful hunt, a native boy is often given beads in celebration of his prowess.

To many Southwestern tribes, Turquoise is the most valuable gemstone of all and hardly any ceremony can be performed without it.  Small fetishes are carved out of, or decorated with, Turquoise and added to medicine bag bundles.  The bundles should not be touched by anyone other than the owner, and are carried for protection and good luck.  Turquoise can also be used in love spells, to attract both men and women and make them faithful to their lover.

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