Why Turquoise ?

Teal green/blue turquoise in a brown copper matrix.

Turquoise is one of the world’s oldest and most beloved gemstones, instantly recognizable by its soothing blue-green hues. Worn by royalty, shamans and artisans, traders and travellers. Turquoise has crossed continents and centuries as a symbol of protection, prosperity, healing, and spiritual connection. Its history is rich and intriguing and I would love to share some of it here.

What Is Turquoise?

Turquoise precipitated in yellow sandstone.

Turquoise is a hydrated phosphate of copper and aluminium, formed in arid regions where water percolates through and slowly alters copper-rich sedimentary and igneous rocks. Its iconic colour—ranging from white, sky blue to greenish teal and yellow—comes from copper and iron. The opacity and relative softness of the stone has make it especially suited for carving, inlay, and bold jewellery designs throughout history. It has always been cherished not just for rarity, but for its symbolic power and visual impact.

Historical significance.

Ancient Egypt (c. 3000 BCE)

The earliest known turquoise mines were located in the Sinai Peninsula and worked by the ancient Egyptians over 5,000 years ago. The Egyptians adored turquoise which was used extensively in jewellery. It adorns the burial mask of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, symbolizing rebirth and divine protection in the afterlife. Egyptians associated turquoise with the goddess Hathor, protector of miners and bringer of joy. Ancient Egyptians valued the highly priced turquoise so much that they were also the first in history to create imitations of the stone in the form of glazed faience (a type of ceramic).

Tutankhamun mask with inlayed Turquoise, Lapis Lazuli and Carnelian.

Persia (modern-day Iran)

Persians were among the most influential users of turquoise. They believed that changing colour in a turquoise stone warned the wearer of danger or illness. Persian turquoise was often set into swords, crowns, and mosques—its colour symbolizing heaven on earth. Even today, Iranian turquoise is considered some of the finest in the world.

Ancient China

In China, turquoise was carved into decorative objects and ritual items. It symbolized wealth, status, and the harmony between heaven and earth, and was often used alongside jade.

Mesoamerica (Aztecs & Mayans)

In Central America, turquoise was highly sacred. The Aztecs used it in elaborate mosaics to decorate masks, shields, and religious artifacts. It symbolized fire, the sun, and divine authority.

Native American Jewellery

In North America, turquoise became central to Southwestern Native American jewellery. From the late 19th century onward, turquoise set in silver became a defining style of Native American craftsmanship that remains globally influential today.

Europe

During the Middle Ages, turquoise travelled to Europe along trade routes from Persia and the Middle East. The name “turquoise” itself comes from the French word turquois, meaning “Turkish,” since the stone entered Europe through Turkey. European nobility believed that turquoise would protect riders from falls, prevent poisoning and would bring harmony to marriages. The stone became especially popular in Renaissance and Victorian jewellery, often set into rings to convey loyalty and eternal love.

Where Is Turquoise Mined?

Today turquoise is mainly mined in the United States, Iran , China , and Mexico, with smaller deposits existing in Afghanistan, Chile, and parts of Central Asia. As natural turquoise is not that common, it commands a higher price and, due to this, there are many fakes, imitations and synthetic stones on the market, such as coloured howlite and magnesite. A unnatural evenness in colour and texture is a give away to recognise these fakes. It should also be noted that natural turquoise can be porous and soft and stones may be stabilized with resin to improve hardness and colour consistency. If the turquoise stone is stabilised this should be notified by the jeweller - if you have a suspicion its wise to ask.

Turquoise in Harmattan Jewellery designs.

The Ra and Nefatari necklaces of the Egyptian Collection. Featuring turquoise, lapis lazuli, carnelian and gold in ancient Egyptian inspired patterns.

In Harmattan Jewellery I consequently only use high quality genuine turquoise in the designs. I do this to to honour the connection of the designs to ancient art and because I love the texture and colour variations in natural stones, which give the jewellery character, make it unique and come to life. I predominantly use turquoise in the Egyptian Collection, which feature patterns and designs inspired by this ancient culture. Just like the ancient Egyptians, I favour combining the turquoise with dark blue lapis lazuli from Afghanistan and orange / red carnelian from India as well as gold.

The genuine high quality turquoise used predominantly come from Arizona, U.S.A..

Harmattan necklaces featuring ancient Hubei turquoise beads combined with other colourful semi-precious gemstones.

I also on occasion have had the good fortune to acquire some ancient Hubei turquoise beads. In the photograph to the left you can see the marked difference in colour and texture compared to the American turquoise used in the Ra necklace above. Both types of turquoise are high quality and stunningly beautiful.

So to answer my leading question "Why Turquoise", the answer would have to be that few stones are so varied and yet recognisable, colourful and evoke such immediate associations and connections with different cultures, history and the ancient world.

If you would like to dig deeper into the Egyptian Collection by Harmattan please click here:

Egyptian Collection

Capturing Feminine Strength - A Special Commission.

Handcrafted commissioned Thor's Hammer pendant in sterling silver.

This June, I was approached by a customer to create a personalised Thor’s Hammer as a gift for her friend’s milestone birthday. The brief was to design a pendant echoing the personality and feminine strength of her friend.

This commission was incredibly special, and I thoroughly enjoyed bringing it to life. I’m thrilled that both the client and I are absolutely delighted with the result.

Front and back design of the Thor's Hammer pendant.

Design Inspiration

At the outset of the project, I reviewed historical Thor’s Hammer pendants in museums and publications. Many of these traditional pieces feature strong, masculine shapes. In response, I chose to create a more feminine silhouette with a longer shaft and softer corners and edges.

The front of the pendant features a modern interpretation inspired by the Norse goddess Freya—strong, elegant, and intertwined with beautiful, flowing forms. The reverse side incorporates an eternal loop, symbolising everlasting friendship.

A Personal Touch

Throughout the design process, I had several design conversations with the client. I also used photographs of the recipient to help capture her personality and weave it subtly into the piece.

The pendant was carefully sculpted in wax, balancing weight and size; substantial enough to make a statement in silver, yet comfortable to wear. My aim was to achieve a harmony of handmade character, contemporary design, and echoes of ancient craftsmanship.

Sculpturing Thor's Hammer

I documented each stage of the process through photographs and created a small booklet to accompany the final piece, outlining the concept and journey from sketch to silver as well as outlining the thought and care behind the gift.

Interested in a Commission?

If this piece inspires you and you're considering commissioning a bespoke piece of jewellery, I’d love to hear from you. You can read more about the commissioning process via the link below, along with another commission featuring an ancient Egyptian cat amulet.

Information on commissioning a special piece of jewellery

Ancient Egyptian Cat amulet - A commission

#vikingjewellery #bespokejewellery #thorshammer #silverpendant #giftforfriend #oneofakindjewellery

The Dragonfly corsage by René Lalique

Once in a while you meet a piece of art that just captivates you. This has been the case for me with the Dragonfly corsage by René Lalique and I would love to share the fascination of this brilliant piece as well as the artist and unique Art Nouveau style in which it was created.

The Artist

Few works capture the spirit of the Art Nouveau era quite like René Lalique’s Dragonfly Corsage — a stunning fusion of nature, symbology, and innovation. The piece was created around 1897–1898 in his Paris studio. René Lalique (1860–1945) began his career as a traditional jeweller, but quickly set himself apart by defying convention, pushing boundaries and embracing new techniques. While the late 19th century jewellery was dominated by precious gemstones like diamonds, Lalique championed other materials such as enamel, glass, horn, and semi-precious stones. He chose his materials based on aesthetics and artistic impact, not preciousness. His emphasis was on creating jewellery with symbology, imagination and otherworldliness. The Dragonfly corsage was first exhibited at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1900 where it was a great success and cemented Lalique as the defining artist of the Art Nouveau movement. A movement where organic forms, flowing lines, and mythological imagery reigned supreme.

The Dragonfly-Woman Hybrid

The Dragonfly Corsage is nearly 30 centimetres tall and could be described as more sculpture than adornment. Its form is both mesmerizing, magical and also slightly unsettling. It is a hybrid creature with the head and torso of a woman and the wings and body of a dragonfly.

Lalique’s design merges beauty and danger, reflecting the era’s fascination with femme fatale archetypes — women seen as both alluring and threatening. The insect-woman motif embodies transformation, flight, and the ephemeral nature of life, all recurring Art Nouveau themes.

Materials and Technique

Lalique combined gold, enamel, chrysoprase, moonstones, calcedony and diamonds to create an iridescent, lifelike effect. Each of the stones carried considered symbology leading the piece to symbolise Art Nouveau through, transformation, change, freshness and femininity. His innovative use of plique-à-jour enamel — a technique resembling stained glass — allowed light to pass through the wings, giving them an ethereal glow. This elevated the Dragonfly corsage to a status of wearable sculpture. New for the time, the wings and tail were segmented and hinged allowing for movement that would have made the dragonfly seem to shimmer and come alive - it must have been absolutely stunning seeing this piece come to life on a dark evening dress.

The corsage is today residing in the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon, where I will definitely try to see and experience it as soon as I can.

Dragonfly corsage photographs from the Calouste Glubenkian Museum website: René Lalique Room - Museu Calouste Gulbenkian