Turquoise is isolated to a rather limited geographical area in the southwestern United Sates. Prehistoric Indians mined turquoise and turned this product into jewelry, drilled beads and other hanging adornments. Extensive evidence of prehistoric mining operations have been found in The Cerillos and Burro Mountain regions of New Mexico, the Kingman and Morenci regions of Arizona and the Conejos area of Colorado.
Turquoise has been a native to jewelry in the Southwest for over 2000 years. The stone then as now was deeply appreciated and much revered. To the ancestors of our current Native Americans, turquoise had a multitude of properties such as:
To the Pima of Southern Arizona, turquoise was a talisman of good fortune and strength to repel illnesses. However, they believed if one lost a turquoise, they would have an illness that could only be treated by a medicine man.
The Zuni believed the blue turquoise was male and of the sky, the green was female and of the earth. Their fetishes were either made of turquoise or had turquoise attached to them to give them more power.
The Rio Grande Pueblo people held the turquoise color came from being stolen from the sky and preserved in stone. Their most precious idols were adorned with turquoise. They, also, use turquoise for good luck.
The Hopi have many traditions regarding turquoise. They use turquoise on their most important fetishes to enhance their powers. They believe that turquoise can hold back the floods. One Hopi legend has turquoise as the excrement of lizards so lizards are greatly respected for their above-below world connections.
The Apache felt turquoise attached to a gun or bow would cause the weapon to shoot straight. It brought rain and could be found at the end of all rainbows. It was the strength of their medicine men.
The Navajo believe that wearing turquoise brings good luck and insures their favor with the Yeis (mediators between man and the supernatural). When thrown into the river with proper ceremonies, it will bring rain. Turquoise offered to the Wind Spirit will appease said spirit. They Navajo carve fetishes out of turquoise for increased power and fortune. Turquoise is the sacred stone and color of the South and the upper world. Turquoise also plays an important part in healing ceremonies and sand paintings.