Hubei Turquoise Beads

Hubei Turquoise is some of the nicest turquoise mined in Asia! Named for the Hubei Province of China, it is a natural turquoise variety. The majority of the world's turquoise now comes from mines in China, due to the scarcity of American turquoise. Some industry experts expect the Chinese varieties to go up in price over the next decade, as it too becomes more rare. Most Hubei turquoise rough is stabilized for strength. This helps to prevent chipping and crumbling. Turquoise derives its name from Renaissance France, where Europeans were introduced to the stone via Turkey (though those stones were traded from Iran). Turquoise has been used in jewelry-making for at least 5,000 years!

Turquoise contains copper and aluminum, as a hydrated phosphate.

Turquoise is said to be a healing and protective stone.