JEWELRY EDUCATION > GLOSSARY > Turquoise
Turquoise
Turquoise is a semi-precious gemstone that consists of the chemical elements copper, aluminum, phosphorus, hydrogen, and oxygen in the form of water. Other minerals entering into the stone's structure create color variations, but most turquoise is concentrated near the copper-aluminum end of this spectrum, which makes it is closer to blue or blue-green then to green or green-blue. Deposits usually occur in areas with some volcanic or thermal history, and hardness can vary from a little over 2 to nearly 6 on the Mohs scale.
