Turquoise runs from sky blue to a yellowed green, and no two pieces arrive at quite the same shade. This collection is almost entirely bracelets, cut into a wider range of bead shapes than any other stone we carry.
Reading the sizes
Turquoise shows its shape more than most stones, so the cut matters as much as the color.
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3mm to 6mm beads sit light on the wrist and stack well. Several pieces here are built to be worn two or three at once.
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8mm to 12mm rounds are the classic single-strand look, with enough weight to stay where you put them.
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Heishi and chips are cut thin and flat, so the finished strand has a duller, more even surface than a bead strand.
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Discs and cubes catch light on their edges, which makes the color shift as the wrist moves.
Green turquoise runs warmer beside red agate. Blue runs cooler beside silver or white pearl. Both combinations appear in this collection.
Worn for protection
Turquoise has been worn in Tibet as a protecting stone for a long time, usually kept close to the body rather than stored away. It turns up set into the ghau boxes that carry a prayer against the chest, which is the same instinct in a different form.
Wearing it
Turquoise is softer than quartz or agate. Keep it apart from harder stones in a jewelry box, and take it off before anything that involves abrasion.
Choose the size first — the strand you will actually wear is the one that sits right — and let the shade follow.
