Turquoise

Popular Name: Feroza. Persian: Perozeh. Arabic: Firoozaj. Hindi: Feroza. Nature: It is a green stone with a bluish tint that comes from Nishapur, Shiraz, Bhutan, and Kerman; the finest is Nishapuri. Temperament: Cold in the first degree and dry in the third degree, and it is formed naturally in the mine with some sulfur and mercury. Color and Odor: The turquoise color is very famous. Taste: Tasteless, like other stones. Harmful: It is harmful for kidney diseases. Corrective: Tragacanth and mucilaginous/moist substances. Substitute: Emerald is its substitute in most actions. Planetary Relation: Attributed to the planet Neptune by virtue of temperament. Special Benefit: Strengthens the heart, brain, and eyesight; exhilarant; and acts as an antidote to poison. Full Dose: Up to two mashas, more or less as needed. Minimum Dose: Up to one masha, slightly more. Actions and Properties: It is an exhilarant possessing antidotal properties. Its collyrium absorbs eye moisture, prevents tearing and cataracts, strengthens eyesight, removes night blindness, and is beneficial for most diseases of the ocular layers. Taken with honey, it is useful for epilepsy and splenomegaly, and expels kidney and bladder stones. Taken with suitable medicines or electuaries, it strengthens the heart and stomach, and is beneficial for palpitations, diarrhea, intestinal ulcers, and all internal wounds. Half a dram serves as an antidote to all poisons, one dram counteracts the effects of severe poisons, and one masha eliminates the effect of scorpion venom, which is proven. Wearing it suspended strengthens the heart, dispels fear of enemies, and hardens soft metals. In English, it is called Turquoise because it comes from the country of the Turks (i.e., Turkey/Levant). It is also called Callaite, Agaphite, and Johnite. The following are the two types of turquoise: (1) Oriental Turquoise: Its color remains permanent and it is extracted from ancient rocks. It is composed of 30.9 parts phosphoric acid, 44.5 alumina, 3.75 copper oxide, 1.8 iron oxide, and 19 water. (2) Occidental Turquoise: It is also called bone turquoise (odontolite). Its color deteriorates into green and it is considered a formation of newer rocks. Its major constituent is bone phosphate (phosphate of lime). Accordingly, it is composed of 80 parts phosphate of lime, 8 carbonate of lime, 2 iron phosphate and magnesia phosphate, 1.5 alumina, and 1 to 6 parts water. This variety is found near Simorre and Languedoc (a province of France at 43 degrees North-East). Physicians of Iran describe its types as follows: (1) Fathi, (2) Azhari, (3) Sulemani, (4) Zarladi, (5) Asman-goon, (6) Abdul Hamidi, (7) Andeeshi, (8) Ganjweena. The first five types are earthy in color. The remaining three are found in mountainous regions and mines. The specimens found in Kerman and Shiraz have white mixed in them and are called Sabangi and Sarboom. Those having blue streaks are called Neelboom. Physical Nature: (1) Although the mineral form of turquoise is fine and compact, it does not form well-defined crystals. (2) Hardness is 6; it can scratch glass. (3) Luster is vitreous/waxy. (4) Color is blue, green, white. (5) Opaque, edges translucent/lustrous. (6) Specific gravity is 2.6 to 2.8. (7) Single refractive index. (8) It contains 27.34 phosphoric acid with lime and 18.18 water. Its color is due to iron oxide and copper. (9) Upon heating, its color turns black due to the drying out of water. It does not melt even before a blowpipe; its color turns brownish. No acid affects it.