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Turquoise has been honored for thousands of years.  It has been named as the first gem ever recorded in history.  Cultures across the globe honor its color and power.  It is turquoise!

Loving gems as we do, it is interesting that most people have a very personal, lasting story of turquoise. Here is mine;

As a student at the School of the Pennsylvania Ballet, my friends were my ballet friends. Kids at school just didn't understand why I left early every day, why I never went to parties on Friday night, and, yes, they were pretty cruel at times. My ballet buddies understood it all because they experienced it too.  I loved my friends and weekends were often spent in sleepovers in Germantown, University City, over the bridge in Haddonfield, and elegant homes in the northern suburbs of Philadelphia. My friend, Risa, lived in one of those beautiful homes. I remember a living room with emerald green carpeting and a white baby grand piano! I went to her sister's Bat Mitzvah and it was the most elegant party I had ever seen.  When I was about 13, Risa gave me a friendship ring with four turquoise stones set in sterling. I was overwhelmed! I had never received a gift like this.  I wore it every day. Since this was before the days of social media, my friends and I lost touch once we headed off to college.  But I still think of my ballet friends often, and I still have the ring to this day!

That's the lasting power of turquoise! I have also seen it throughout my years at QVC.  Turquoise used to be shown in only Southwestern style jewelry.  Now It is seen in every style, including some set in gold.  I remember a story, designer Robert Elizondo, told me. He grew up not far from the famed Sleeping beauty mine. His father would take him there on weekends.  He always thought of Sleeping Beauty turquoise as a gem set in sterling. Then as a young designer he went to Paris and saw the major design houses setting the turquoise in gold, and a new world of design unfolded for him.  That mine is now closed today, so finding the brilliant blue gem is getting more and more difficult - but we will have stunning jewelry to show you on gem day – Thursday, Jan. 8th!  Carolyn Pollack and I spent time in Arizona loving this American gem too.

We will have so many beautiful pieces to show you this Thursday on our 24 hour Gem Day! I'll see you at midnight for two hours of Turquoise, followed by a rare Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald show. I'll be back for the grand finale at the end of the day.  Look for premiere hours, gorgeous colors and stories of the legacy of gems ALL day this Thursday on QVC!

-Jane