I have a thing for Turquoise. Somehow, it is like a little black dress, no matter which one you have, you always want another. So I love using all kinds Turquoise and "Types" of Turquoise in my designs. I thought It would be fun to talk about the idea of “real“ vs. “imitation" Turquoise.
Ancient Egyptian Faience was the first imitation turquoise, it was invented to replicate the saturated blue color of turquoise. Because Turquoise was so highly sought after but hard to mine, it was extremely expensive. Originally, turquoise was mined from the Sinai Dessert, nestled between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. The Ancient Egyptians called the area, “the Country of Turquoise.” But because this semi-precious stone was so rare and difficult to mine the ever-inventive Egyptians created what is likely the first “fake Turquoise”. It is called faience and believed to have been developed specifically to simulate turquoise. This man-made substance allowed the Egyptians to make a wide variety of objects covered in shiny, bright blue glaze like the shades of turquoise. The color was closely linked with fertility, life, and the gleaming qualities of the sun.
It was also thought to hold magical powers, as I referenced in my other blog about the types of US Turquoise, that other cultures have also believe.
These images are from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, where I would spend many a Saturday afternoon in the Egyptian Wing in my high school days.
What does all of this mean to Turquoise lovers? Are we supposed to hate what some might refer to as "imitation" Turquoise? My opinion is when it comes to jewelry I feel that we all need to channel our inner Marie Kondo and if your jewelry "sparks joy", regardless of its exact mineral composition you should embrace it, as I do. I use a variety of types of "Turquoise" in my designs…
I hold myself in good company with he Ancient Egyptians and I’ve even been known to incorporate some high quality Howlite and definitely stabilized or reconstituted Turquoise – but I still haven’t used any ancient Egyptian faience yet!😉 SHOP TURQUOISE