I'm so glad you're back. For a few weeks I'm sharing what I have learned about the history of turquoise and how it was used in various countries in the past.

Let's go to China. This huge country started using turquoise to make carvings in the 13th century. They did not mine much of it themselves. They traded for it with Tibet and other countries. Today, much of the world's turquoise comes from China. It is considered good quality and is used in turquoise jewelry.

In ancient Tibet, turquoise was so valuable it was used as money in some parts of the country. Much of Tibet's turquoise is a beautiful shade of green. It was traded with other countries.

Beautiful turquoise has been mined in Turkey for hundreds of years. They traded it with other countries including those in Europe, though turquoise did not really catch on and become popular in Europe until the Renaissance.

Thanks for checking in. Come back next month.