Turquoise chips average about 8mm diameter, but varying greatly in thickness, as contemporary chips tend to do. On 16-inch strands Nice blue Turquoise color with hints of brown matrix. Turquoise got its name because it came to Europe through Turkey. It has a long history of use in jewelry throughout the Himalayas, India, Persia (Iran), and Egypt, having been mined there up to 8000 years ago. In the American Southwest, Native Americans have mined, and used it, for jewelry, ceremonies, art and trade since 200 BCE. Turquoise naturally varies in color from blue to green depending on its iron and copper content. However, the popular sky-blue color shifts toward green from contact with perspiration, oils, cosmetics and other substances, as well as excess light, heat, and de-hydration. This is why older Turquoise beads are often more green than blue. Whether they appreciate the age, or the color itself, Tibetans prefer more green Turquoise, while Europeans and Americans tend to prefer the blue.
