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Inspiration in the color turquoise.

Learn the history and meaning of the color turquoise and its symbolism from fashion to art.

Design with turquoise

What is the meaning of the color turquoise?

Turquoise the color was named after turquoise the mineral. That mineral was named “turquoise,” or “Turkish” in French, after it made its way to Europe through Turkey. Turquoise stones were first incorporated into striking jewelry prized as gems and talismen. Turquoise has long been valued for its rarity and the beautiful blue-green-yellow color it boasts.

Turquoise combines the calming effect of blue with the rejuvenation of green and the sunny warmth of yellow.

The history of turquoise.

Turquoise is prized as a precious stone with many meanings.

Turquoise is a rare stone prized as an ornament, often in jewelry. The oldest turquoise mines are in present day Turkey, Afghanistan, and Iran. Jewelry holding turquoise was historically considered anything from a talisman to a holy stone, or even a bringer of good fortune. The Ancient Persian Empire used turquoise in jewelry to protect the wearer from doom and death.

Turquoise color inspired by turquoise stones.

Turquoise stones were so cherished that turquoise color pigment became popular in several ancient societies. The Mesoamericans invented a turquoise color tint with extracts from the indigo plant, clay minerals, and resin from incense. The Egyptians, too, made turquoise color pigment to honor and protect the dead in elaborate paintings inside of tombs.

The color turquoise became popular in Europe during the Renaissance.

Exploration from Europe into the Middle East and South Asia introduced a new population to the blue-green-yellow turquoise stone. The first documented use of “turquoise” in English dates to 1573. It was adopted from the same word in French, meaning “Turkish.” Through the Renaissance, turquoise color grew in popularity alongside the precious stone. Turquoise pigments were used in paintings to symbolize wealth and vitality.

The color turquoise across different cultures.

Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Prussia all had their own interpretations of the color turquoise.

In Ancient Prussia, turquoise stones were believed to protect against unnatural death. Because turquoise stones can change color over time, it was believed that when turquoise jewelry changed hues, the wearer was approaching death or doom. Ancient Greece adorned young women with turquoise as a symbol of their purity. In Ancient Egypt, turquoise — the mineral and the color itself — was believed to offer protective qualities.

Turquoise color provides protection and strength.

In China and Turkey, turquoise was used in fashion to protect wearers from the evil eye. Turquoise stones were seen as an especially powerful talisman by Turkish soldiers. In India, the turquoise color represents protection and strength. Centuries of prizing turquoise stones for its mystic qualities created a profound association of the color turquoise with all these same things.

Turquoise color took on elaborate and elegant associations as a result of the stone’s esteem.

After centuries of turquoise stone trade, the color turquoise took on the same qualities as the elaborate jewelry and elegant inlays it was used in. Turquoise color is now commonly found in large domes and interiors in religious and government buildings in Iran, Central Asia, and Russia. In Russia, the color turquoise also symbolizes love.