gems, turquoise, Iran, Persia, Nishapur

This brief article discusses turquoise, including its characteristic color, composition, physical properties, and principal sources. It describes the occurrence and mining of turquoise in Persia, historically the source of particularly prized material, and notes other known localities. The article also considers the use and appreciation of turquoise as a gemstone, providing a concise nineteenth-century popular account of its mineralogical and gemological characteristics.