mineral
Turquoise
CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8·4H2O
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectMohs hardness of 5-6, distinctive robin's-egg blue to greenish-blue color, waxy to sub-vitreous luster, and a triclinic crystal system.
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Physical properties
Mohs hardness of 5-6, distinctive robin's-egg blue to greenish-blue color, waxy to sub-vitreous luster, and a triclinic crystal system.
Formation & geological history
Forms through the weathering and oxidation of pre-existing copper-bearing minerals in arid climates, typically precipitating in fractured volcanic or sedimentary host rocks.
Uses & applications
Extensively utilized in fine jewelry, ornamental carvings, and inlay work.
Geological facts
Turquoise is one of the world's most ancient gem materials, prized by civilizations from ancient Egypt to the American Southwest for thousands of years.
Field identification & locations
Easily identified by its characteristic blue-green color and dark web-like matrix veins; commonly mined in the southwestern United States, Iran, and China.
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Other mineral specimens
Gneiss or Schist
Gneiss or Mica Schist with Garnet
Metamorphic
Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)
Arenite (SiO2 based)
sedimentary
Tumbled granite
Granite, a coarse-grained felsic intrusive igneous rock
igneous
Pegmatite with Tourmaline and Quartz
Igneous Pegmatite
igneous
Epidote
Epidote | Ca2(Al2,Fe3+)(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH)
metamorphic
Granite
Granite (Phaneritic intrusive igneous rock)
igneous