Mashhad turquoise & stonework

Persia tradition · 3 examples · indicative market tier: Under $500 (entry level & living craft)

Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8·4H2O. It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gemstone for millennia due to its hue. The robin egg blue or sky blue color of the Persian turquoise mined near the modern city of Nishapur, Iran, has been used as a guiding reference for evaluating turquoise quality. Like most other opaque gems, turquoise has been devalued by the introduction of treatments, imitations, and synthetics into the market. Wikipedia →

Types & examples

Where to buy

Each link opens a live, image-rich search for this craft on that marketplace. Listings rotate constantly; authenticate significant pieces independently — attribution quality varies widely outside museum collections.