John Hard, Batu Dot Morocco Chandelier Earrings, Turquoise (Courtesy of Nieman Marcus)

John Hard, Batu Dot Morocco Chandelier Earrings
(Courtesy of Nieman Marcus)

Turquoise jewelry is far from a ‘new’ trend. Closely associated Native American culture, this beautiful stone has been used in jewelry and other accessories for centuries. And although the American Southwest may not be known for haute couture like the Paris and Milan’s of the world, turquoise is a very real contribution to high fashion from this region. And right now, turquoise is moving back into the limelight.

Whether you’re a department store shopper or a salvager, turquoise is at your fingertips. With designers like Ippolita, Dannijo and John Hardy showing an insistence on this stone in their most recent collections, all you have to do is hit “ship now” and this trend will arrive at your front door. But as someone who has brought raw turquoise back form Mexico and turned it into a bold necklace, sometimes the hunt can be more fun. Find your local antique stores, you’ll be surprised by how many of these amazing stones you find. And get creative, find a stone you love in a cheap setting, take it to your local jeweler and you’ll have a custom piece!

Many of the more mainstream jewelry designers tend to use the genuinely “turquoise” colored stones with few imperfections or veining. Truthfully, the more transparent the stone looks, the higher the quality it is likely to be. But turquoise comes in many forms and hues. As a turquoise lover, I have found that “imperfections” can be beautiful as well. Varying from translucent, sky blues to greenish hues with black and white veins, turquoise comes as refined or as raw as your personal style.

Custom necklace, turquoise stones sourced from Mexico.  (Courtesy of Anna Ziverts)

Custom necklace, stones sourced from Mexico.
(Courtesy of Anna Ziverts)

The 8 Things Every Fashion Lover Should Know About Turquoise:

1)   Turquoise has history—it was a prominent stone used in Ancient Egyptian jewelry

2)   Translucent turquoise is typically higher quality—but don’t let this determine your views on whether it is “pretty” or not

3)   Composite turquoise is common—simply put, compressed turquoise “dust” creates a rugged and raw looking stone

4)   Turquoise doesn’t have to look “Southwestern”—in fact, many designers are incorporating this stone into very refined pieces mixed with diamonds and gold

5)   The “Southwestern” vibe can be a cool way to rock the stone—mixing a very ‘American’ turquoise piece with a classic outfit creates a daring juxtaposition

6)   Turquoise jewelry can be worn with pretty much any color—seriously, go wild

7)   Turquoise is inherently bold, so go with it—don’t be afraid to let the turquoise truly become the statement piece of your outfit

8)   Turquoise is eternal—sure, they say this about diamonds too. But seriously, turquoise will never go “out of style” and can be worn year round. So don’t feel guilty investing in this trend

If you haven’t jumped on the turquoise bandwagon, now is the time. This classic stone is eternal, beautiful and positively daring. And whether you’re a label lover or a treasure scouter, there is plenty of turquoise out there for you.

From left to right: Ippolita, Alexis Bittar, Stephen Dweck, Nest, Stephen Dweck and Ippolita.  (Courtesy of Nieman Marcus)

From left to right: Ippolita, Alexis Bittar, Stephen Dweck, Nest, Stephen Dweck and Ippolita.
(Courtesy of Nieman Marcus)

For More on this look, visit “Daring Turquoise” on Pinterest