Turquoise, turquois, quoise blue (glass paste, malachite, amazonite)
Archae Solenhofen (solenhofen@hotmail.com)
(Last modified April 4, 2001)

   Turquoise (Hydrous Copper Aluminum Phosphate, CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8·5H2O) is usually associated with the alteration of aluminum-rich igneous rocks and commonly occurs in nodules and veins. Its colour ranges from greenish blue to sky blue shades of turquoise, and is usually dull to waxy in luster. Specimens of turquoise are opaque, but can be slightly translucent on thin edges. Generally, it occurs in amorphous massive forms, and turquoise fractures are conchoidal and smooth. Its hardness is 5-6 on the Mohs' scale. Today turquoise is considered a valuable ornamental stone and is commonly used in jewelry.

   Turquoise was mined by the ancient Egyptians in the Sinai region, particularly at Wadi Magharah and Serabit el Khadim (see map). It generally occurs as veins along joints and as concretionary nodules in sandstones deposits of these regions (Siad, 1963). Other potential sources are Persia and the Libyan massifs. It was employed by the ancient Egyptians from Neolithic times onwards for beads and jewelry inlay, and rare in the form of scarabs (Lucas and Harris, 1962). The Egyptian turquoise is of the greenish variety, and is sometimes mistaken for glass paste, enamel, malachite, or amazonite. Imitation turquoise made of glass coloured light blue and greenish blue is also known. The ancient Egyptian word for turquoise (mf k3t) has sometimes been mistranslated as malachite by some researchers (Lucas and Harris, 1962).

References

Lucas, A. & Harris, J.R. (1962) Ancient Egyptian materials and industries. E. Arnold, London, 523 p.

Said, R. (1962) The geology of Egypt. Elsevier, New York, 377 p.

Links to examples of turquoise usage

a) Bowls

b) Vases

c) Statues

d) Misc. objects

Middle Kingdom period (12th Dynasty) pectoral with the name of Senwosret II made of gold, carnelian, feldspar, garnet, and turquoise (lenght: 8.3 cm: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York).

A New Kingdom period (18th Dynasty) jewlery of gold, carnelian, lapis lazuli, turquoise, and other semi-precious stones, from Thebes (Roemer-und Pelizaeus-Museum, Hildesheim).

e) Inlay

Old Kingdom period (4th Dynasty) bracelets of Queen Hetep-heres I made of Silver, turquoise, lapis lazuli, and carnelian (diameter: 9-8.8 cm; Egyptian Museum, Cairo).

New Kingdom period (19th Dynasty) pendant of a predatory bird with a ram's head made of gold, turquoise, jasper, and lapis-lazuli from Saqqara (span: 13.7 cm, width: 7.4 cm; Musee de Louvre, Paris).