Description
- Exotic mineral
What you will receive You will receive a 5ml glass vial of Turquoise in a chunk form. As seen in pictures. Sweet Stocking stuffer, Christmas gift Great chemistry gift Amazing science gift Teacher gift The Facts Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrated phosphate of copper and aluminium. Chemical formula CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)84H2O. It has a hardness of 56 on the Mohs scale. It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gemstone and ornamental stone for thousands of years owing to its unique hue. Characteristically a cryptocrystalline mineral, turquoise almost never forms single crystals, and all of its properties are highly variable. Its crystal system is proven to be triclinic via X-ray diffraction testing. The blue is attributed to idiochromatic copper while the green may be the result of either iron impurities (replacing aluminium) or dehydration. The pastel shades of turquoise have endeared it to many great cultures of antiquity: it has adorned the rulers of Ancient Egypt, the Aztecs (and possibly other Pre-Columbian Mesoamericans), Persia, Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and to some extent in ancient China since at least the Shang Dynasty. This is high quality yet cheap affordable Turquoise. Safety / Caution Keep out of reach from children! Do not ingest.