[VIDEO] Is Turquoise Becoming Rarer And More Valuable Than Diamonds -...

3^min

A sky-blue colored stone with a gray and gold spider web matrix sits melded into a silver ring with engraved feathers along the sides.

The stone is turquoise, an opaque mineral, chemically a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminum. Its color ranges from sky blue to yellow-green and its luster from waxy to subvitreous. The mineral is usually found in arid climates—major regions include Iran (Persia), northwest China, the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt and the American Southwest.

The word is derived from an Old French word for “Turkish” traders who first brought the Persian turquoise to Europe. It has adorned the halls and tombs of Aztec kings and Egyptian pharaohs, such as Tutankhamun, whose golden funeral mask is decorated with turquoise.

Turquoise is a central element in Navajo religious observances. One belief is that to bring rainfall, a piece of turquoise must be cast into a river, accompanied by a prayer. Its unique type of green, blue, black and white represents happiness, luck and health and if given as a gift to someone, it is seen as a token of kinship.

Less than five percent of turquoise mined worldwide has the characteristics to be cut and set into jewelry. Once a thriving industry, many Southwest mines have run short and are now closed.

Government restrictions and the high costs of mining have also obstructed the ability to find gem-quality turquoise. Very few mines operate commercially and most of today’s turquoise is recovered as a byproduct of copper mining.

This means the rare stone could become of a greater value than diamonds. But that’s the important twist: diamonds were never as rare and as valuable as they are made out to be.

Diamonds’ popularity is due primarily to the DeBeers organization, which had established the first large scale diamond mines in South Africa, then began a very successful advertising campaign, persuading consumers that engagement rings should have a diamond.

Nevertheless, diamonds are not rare.

Diamonds are the hardest material found on earth but apart from that, they hold no exceptional distinctions. All gem grade materials are considered as rare, making out just a small fraction of the earth. However, among gems, diamonds are indeed the most common.

Still don't believe it? Watch the video for more information.

Source

[VIDEO] Is Turquoise Becoming Rarer And More Valuable Than Diamonds?