By Shahriyar Zamansani, TopTurquoise, Inc.
Hello, fellow AGTA members! I am the founder of TopTurquoise, Inc., and I am delighted to talk to you about sourcing Persian-origin Turquoise, a gemstone about which our family is passionate.
My wife Farideh Mihan and I have been supplying the trade with (Iranian) Persian Turquoise for more than 20 years. The gems are from the city of Firouzeh, Khorasan, Iran, a city with a name that translates from Farsi to mean Turquoise. TopTurquoise, Inc., exhibits at trade shows like AGTA GemFair Tucson, where you can see a wide variety of our loose Turquoise available for sale. We also have some inventory in finished jewelry designs featuring Turquoise that are designed by Farideh.
![Persian Turquoise rough](https://agta.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/PersianTurquoiseRough-scaled.jpg)
Persian Turquoise rough
Iranian Turquoise has historically been mined from three deposits—Neyshabur, Kuh Zar,
and the Meiduk Mines in Iran. Neyshabur is a mine that exists solely for Turquoise production, while Kuh Zar is a gold and copper deposit, and Meiduk is a copper mine. Turquoise is often uncovered in or around copper deposits because it is a hydrated copper and aluminum phosphate found in desert-like conditions.
According to the 2021 GIA article “Persian Turquoise: The Ancient Treasure of Neyshabur,” 19 to 40 tons of Turquoise are produced annually in Neyshabur. But because Iran is a country with sometimes unstable government conditions, talk periodically circulates about mine closures. However, our company is part of a Turquoise community and union, so we get quarterly supplies and shares from the mine. This is why I travel abroad three to four times a year to purchase the rough. We generally cut our own, and occasionally I will purchase some already cut stones from the miners that I think are suitable for the international market.
![](https://agta.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/SpiderWebTurquoise-scaled.jpg)
“Spider Web” Persian Turquoise cut into cabochons
As for colors, Persian Turquoise varies from robin’s egg blue to deep Turquoise that is both clear and in matrix, à la spider web Turquoise, which is the most valuable. We sell through all colors of the material to both independent artisans and brands.
![A selection of Persian Turquoise Courtesy of Top Turquoise. Photo: Robert Weldon/GIA](https://agta.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Top-Turquoise_3_GIA.jpg)
A selection of Persian Turquoise Courtesy of Top Turquoise. Photo: Robert Weldon/GIA
On average, 20% of the available Persian Turquoise is high grade. This means the gems are either light and dark blue with beautiful webbing (spider web), called Shajari in Farsi and/or a beautiful blue with a few lines (matrix) of red or black or white running through it, called Ajami in Farsi. High-grade Persian Turquoise is generally very clean, from soft blue to dark blue or flawless.
![](https://agta.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Shahriyar-and-Farideh.jpg)
Shahriyar and Farideh Zamansani, owners of TopTurquoise, Inc.
Do you have more questions about Persian Turquoise? Reach me at [email protected].
To learn more about TopTurquoise, Inc., read “Persian Blues” in Volume I 2023 Prism.
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