Picture this: a gemstone so beautiful that ancient pharaohs buried it with their treasures, so mystical that Aztec priests considered it more valuable than gold, and so powerful that it once sparked America's own gold rush—except instead of yellow metal, people were hunting for turquoise jewelry.
This is the story of turquoise, and it's more captivating than you might imagine.
Turquoise forms in desert climates where copper-rich water slowly seeps through rock, creating something magical—gemstones that seem to hold portions of both earth and sky. Each one is different, from soft robin's egg blue to deep forest green, often with intricate veins that look like nature's own artwork.
For thousands of years, every great civilization fell under turquoise's spell. The Egyptians called their mines "the Country of Turquoise." The Persians named it "victory gemstone." Chinese emperors treasured it, and Aztec temples blazed with turquoise mosaics. There's something about this gemstone that speaks directly to the human soul.
When America Discovered Its Blue Gold
Fast forward to 1892. A well-dressed gentleman named George Kunz—Tiffany & Company's top gemstone expert—was examining some gemstones from the hills near Santa Fe, New Mexico. What he saw changed everything.
These weren't just good turquoise gemstones. They were spectacular. As beautiful as anything coming from Persia, which had been the gold standard for 5,000 years. Suddenly, America had its own gemstone rush. Not for gold or silver, but for blue gemstones that would become the foundation of America's fine jewelry industry.
James McNulty, a tough Irish miner, became the face of this new industry. He earned $300 a month—serious money back then—to run the "Tiffany Mine" in Cerrillos. Using dynamite and modern techniques, he revolutionized mining operations that Native Americans had worked by hand for a thousand years.
The gemstones were extraordinary. Some designs looked like they held captured lightning. Others seemed to contain entire desert sunsets, with chocolate-brown veins running through sky-blue centers.
The Rise and Fall of America's Gemstone Empire
Between 1889 and 1893, turquoise actually cost more per pound than gold. Can you imagine? Victorian ladies draped themselves in elaborate turquoise jewelry. European jewelers competed fiercely to get their hands on American gemstones. The Southwest was buzzing with prospectors and mining companies creating the foundation for America's handmade jewelry traditions.
Different mines produced different treasures. Cerrillos gemstones were prized for their hardness and vivid color. Bisbee mines created turquoise with distinctive chocolate matrix patterns. Nevada produced an incredible rainbow of blues and greens, some with intricate spiderweb patterns that looked almost too beautiful to be real.
But like all good things, the boom didn't last forever. By 1909, the best deposits were running dry. Too many mines flooded the market, prices crashed, and European fashion moved on to other gemstones. America's brief moment as a turquoise superpower was over.
Yet something important had happened. American turquoise had proven it belonged among the world's finest gemstones, laying the groundwork for today's fine jewelry renaissance.
THE MODERN RENAISSANCE: GURHAN’S VISION
Today, we're witnessing turquoise's comeback. And leading this revival is GURHAN, a brand that understands what makes the turquoise craze truly special.
Where Victorian jewelers tried to tame turquoise with rigid, formal settings, GURHAN does something completely different. They honor each gemstone's wild, natural beauty. Their artisans—who learned techniques passed down through generations—create handmade jewelry by hand-hammering 24k gold jewelry around each turquoise, creating settings that seem to grow organically around the gemstone.
This isn't mass production. Each GURHAN design is unique because each gemstone is unique. We never artificially enhance or stabilize their turquoise. If a gemstone is beautiful enough to become a GURHAN jewelry design, it's beautiful enough exactly as nature made it. In 2024, Gurhan began hand-cutting select turquoise gemstones in his workshop in Istanbul, equipped with just the essential tools he needs.
Gurhan transforms turquoise into radiant, bespoke designs - each cut purposeful, each facet deeply personal. It's his way of preserving authentic craftsmanship in today's fast-paced world.
Every turquoise gets treated with reverence and care. From raw mineral to finished treasure, each design becomes a collaboration between earth, artisan, and the woman who will wear it.
This is where global exploration, nature, and design come together - brought to life through hands that understand the turquoise gemstones' potential and the wearer's spirit.
The result? Fine jewelry that connects directly to that golden age of the 1890s while speaking to today's woman who values authenticity over status symbols.
Where Ancient Meets Artistry
GURHAN understands something that got lost during turquoise's first American heyday: this isn't just about pretty gemstones. It's about connecting with something ancient and powerful through handmade jewelry.
Our hand-hammered 24k gold jewelry doesn't compete with the turquoise—it celebrates it. Each setting is like a golden frame that makes the gemstone's natural drama even more striking. Whether it's a turquoise necklace, turquoise earrings, turquoise rings or turquoise bracelet, every GURHAN design showcases the gemstone's inherent beauty.
This is turquoise's new golden age, but it's different from the frenzied speculation of the 1890s. Today's renaissance is built on appreciation for rarity, authenticity, and the irreplaceable. GURHAN jewelry speaks to women who understand that true design isn't about having what everyone else has—it's about owning something genuinely special.
The Sky Stone Revival
Drive through the hills around Cerrillos today, and you can still find turquoise fragments scattered on the ground. The wind still whispers stories of that brief, brilliant moment when American earth produced treasures that rivaled anything from ancient Persia.
But the real story isn't about the past. It's about how certain beautiful things transcend time and speak directly to us across centuries.
GURHAN gets this. We create designs that honor turquoise's sacred heritage while appealing to contemporary desires for meaning and authenticity. Each design carries forward the legacy of those determined miners and visionary jewelers who first recognized America's blue gold for what it truly was—not just beautiful gemstones, but fragments of dreams made real.
Turquoise craze sweeps the world again. You can see it in every hand-hammered setting, every carefully chosen gemstone, every design that bridges ancient wisdom with modern artistry. At GURHAN, these sky gemstones continue their eternal story, ready for a new generation to discover their magic.
Ready to own a design from this legacy? Explore GURHAN's turquoise craze and find your own fragment of America's blue gold story.