If you have a piece of turquoise you want to sell or are considering buying a turquoise item, it’s a good idea to get a feel for how much turquoise is worth.
This information can also help if you’re planning to invest in turquoise.
How much is a pound of turquoise worth?
How much turquoise is worth depends on the depth of color, the particular color of the piece, and the overall quality of the turquoise, so you’ll need to take all of these factors into account when estimating the value of any given piece.
The price can also fluctuate depending on the current demand for turquoise. However, in general, 1 gram of turquoise is worth between $15 and $25.
There are about 28.35 grams in 1 ounce, so we can multiply those prices by 28.35 to find that 1 ounce of turquoise is usually worth between $425.25 and $708.75.
We can discover how much 1 pound of turquoise is worth by multiplying those dollar figures by 16, which is how many ounces are in a pound.
Using this math, we can see that 1 pound of turquoise would be worth between about $6,804 and $11,340.
What is turquoise?
Most people have probably seen turquoise, which is a beautiful blue-green stone with darker veins of color running through it. However, they may not know what turquoise actually is or how it is formed.
Turquoise is a mineral and is often called either a stone or a gemstone. It forms from a hydrated phosphate of copper and aluminum. It’s the copper that gives this stone it’s beautiful coloring.
The most valuable turquoise color is also the rarest, and it’s a rich, medium blue color with no impurities or other markings.
This color, which is sometimes called sky or robin’s egg blue, is also often called Persian blue, as most turquoise of this color is mined in Nishapur, Iran.
What is turquoise used for?
Turquoise has been used for decorative purposes for hundreds of years. It was once used to make masks, ceremonial pieces, or even to create mosaics.
It was also used for decorating things like weapons, shields, horse bridles, and saddles. The iconic burial mask of the Pharoah Tutankhamun is inlaid with stripes of turquoise.
1 pound of turquoise is worth between about $6,804 and $11,340.
It was also used as an inlay in dishes and drinking vessels. Some turquoise of lesser quality was carved into small figurines of animals, people, or the gods.
Today, turquoise is mostly used for making jewelry. It can be seen in earrings, rings, necklaces, or pins.
Larger turquoise stones are used as centerpieces, and the stone is often paired with silver.
Although stones with a pure, unmarred color are the rarest and most valuable, many turquoise artists and collectors prefer stones that are mottled or striped with darker blue, black, green, or yellow markings.
Where is turquoise found?
The gem is often found as a byproduct of copper mining. A fair amount of turquoise comes from Iran, and other large turquoise deposits can be found in the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.
The stone is also common in the United States. It occurs naturally in the southwestern states such as Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, California, and New Mexico.
Turquoise can also be found as far south as central Mexico. Smaller deposits of turquoise can also be found in China, Bulgaria, Australia, India, Afghanistan, Chile, Turkestan, Poland, Germany, and the Cornwall region of the United Kingdom.
Turquoise has been known for many hundreds of years, and it was one of the first gemstones ever mined. This means that many historic sites, which were mined for decades, have now been depleted.
Nevada and Arizona are among the top producers of turquoise in the world, but much turquoise production has slowed down over the last decade.
This is because copper, which is often mined at the same time, is worth so much more and also because the cost of mining turquoise can be very expensive.
This, in turn, has caused turquoise prices to rise significantly.
