turquoise
1. a greenish-blue fine-grained secondary mineral consisting of hydrated copper aluminium phosphate. It occurs in igneous rocks rich in aluminium and is used as a gemstone. Formula: CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8.4H2O
2. the colour of turquoise
Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
What does it mean when you dream about turquoise?
A precious stone of blue and green mined by Native Americans throughout the southwestern United States, the turquoise has spiritual significance. It is the sacred stone of the Navajo associated with natural forces and healing.
The Dream Encyclopedia, Second Edition © 2009 Visible Ink Press®. All rights reserved.
turquoise
[′tər‚kwȯiz] (mineralogy)
CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8·4H2O A semitranslucent sky-blue, bluish-green, apple-green, or greenish-gray mineral that crystallizes in the triclinic system and occurs in veinlets or as crusts of massive, concretionary, and stalactite shapes; an important gem mineral. Also known as calaite; Turkey stone.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
turquoise
December. [Am. Gem Symbolism: Kunz, 319–320]
turquoise
seeing turquoise after a new moon brings wealth. [Gem Symbolism: Kunz, 345]
Allusions—Cultural, Literary, Biblical, and Historical: A Thematic Dictionary. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.
Turquoise
a mineral of the chemical composition CuAl6[P04]4(OH)8·4H2O. It crystallizes in a tricline system. It usually forms compact, cryptocrystalline masses, kidney-shaped aggregates, incrustations, thin veins, and so on. Its hardness on the mineralogical scale is 5–6; its density is 2,600–2,800 kg/m3. The luster is dull and waxy. It is distinguished by a beautiful sky-blue or greenish-blue color. The formation of turquoise is associated with the weathering of feldspar rocks rich in Al2O3 and phosphates (apatite, phosphorite, and others) under the influence of surface waters that contain copper ions. Turquoise is sometimes formed by the replacement of parts of the skeleton of fossil animals (so-called odontolite). Owing to its beautiful color (particularly in polished form), it is widely used in art and jewelry items as a semiprecious stone. The largest deposit of turquoise is at Nishapur in Iran. In the USSR, turquoise is found in Middle Asia and Kazakhstan.
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.