Turquoise (color)

This article is about the color. For other uses, see Turquoise (disambiguation).

Turquoise (/ˈtɜːrk(w)ɔɪz/ TUR-k(w)oyz) is a cyan color, based on the mineral of the same name. The word turquoise dates to the 17th century and is derived from the French turquois, meaning 'Turkish', because the mineral was first brought to Europe through Turkey from mines in the historical Khorasan province of Iran (Persia) and Afghanistan today.^[1][2][3] The first recorded use of turquoise as a color name in English was in 1573.^[4]

Turquoise
Color coordinates
Hex triplet	#40E0D0
sRGBB (r, g, b)	(64, 224, 208)
HSV (h, s, v)	(174°, 71%, 88%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h)	(81, 59, 179°)
Source	X11
ISCC–NBS descriptor	Brilliant bluish green
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

The X11 color named turquoise is displayed on the right.

Turquoise gemstones

Main article: Turquoise

The turquoise gemstone is the namesake for the color.

Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula CuAl₆(PO₄)₄(OH)₈·4H₂O. It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gem and ornamental stone for thousands of years owing to its unique hue.

A turquoise dome of the Po-i-Kalyan Mosque in Bukhara, Uzbekistan

In many cultures of the Old and New Worlds, this gemstone has been esteemed for thousands of years as a holy stone, a bringer of good fortune or a talisman. The oldest evidence for this claim was found in ancient Egypt, where grave furnishings with turquoise inlay were discovered, dating from approximately 3000 BCE. In the ancient Persian Empire, the sky-blue gemstones were earlier worn round the neck or wrist as protection against unnatural death. If they changed color, the wearer was thought to have reason to fear the approach of doom. Meanwhile, it has been discovered that turquoise can change color. The change can be caused by light, or by a chemical reaction brought about by cosmetics, dust, or the acidity of the skin.

Turquoise is a stone and color that is strongly associated with the domes and interiors of large mosques in Iran, Central Asia, and Russia.^[5][6]

Variations

Further information: Shades of cyan

Celeste

Main article: Sky blue § Celeste

Celeste
Color coordinates
Hex triplet	#B2FFFF
sRGBB (r, g, b)	(178, 255, 255)
HSV (h, s, v)	(180°, 30%, 100%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h)	(95, 38, 192°)
Source	S.Fantetti e C.Petracchi (2001). Il dizionario dei colori: nomi e valori in quadricromia. Zanichelli. ISBN 8808079953.
ISCC–NBS descriptor	Very light bluish green
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Celeste is a sky blue turquoise.

Light turquoise

Light turquoise
Color coordinates
Hex triplet	#AFEEEE
sRGBB (r, g, b)	(175, 238, 238)
HSV (h, s, v)	(180°, 26%, 93%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h)	(90, 32, 192°)
Source	X11
ISCC–NBS descriptor	Very light bluish green
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Light turquoise is a lighter tone of turquoise.

Turquoise blue

Turquoise blue
Color coordinates
Hex triplet	#00FFEF
sRGBB (r, g, b)	(0, 255, 239)
HSV (h, s, v)	(176°, 100%, 100%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h)	(91, 72, 182°)
Source	Maerz and Paul
ISCC–NBS descriptor	Brilliant bluish green
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Turquoise blue is close to turquoise on the color wheel, but slightly more blue.^[7]

The first recorded use of turquoise blue as a color name in English was in 1900.^[7]: 206

Medium turquoise

Medium turquoise
Color coordinates
Hex triplet	#48D1CC
sRGBB (r, g, b)	(72, 209, 204)
HSV (h, s, v)	(178°, 66%, 82%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h)	(77, 53, 188°)
Source	X11
ISCC–NBS descriptor	Brilliant bluish green
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

This is the web color medium turquoise.

Dark turquoise

Dark turquoise
Color coordinates
Hex triplet	#00CED1
sRGBB (r, g, b)	(0, 206, 209)
HSV (h, s, v)	(181°, 100%, 82%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h)	(75, 60, 195°)
Source	X11
ISCC–NBS descriptor	Brilliant bluish green
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

This is the web color dark turquoise.

Bright turquoise

Bright turquoise
Color coordinates
Hex triplet	#08E8DE
sRGBB (r, g, b)	(8, 232, 222)
HSV (h, s, v)	(177°, 97%, 91%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h)	(83, 66, 185°)
Source	[Unsourced]
ISCC–NBS descriptor	Brilliant bluish green
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

This Toyota Celica GT Liftback has Bright Turquoise Metallic. Turquoise was a popular color for cars during the 1990s.^{[citation needed]}

This is the color bright turquoise.

See also

• List of colors

References

1. Beale, Thomas W. (1973-10-01). "Early trade in highland Iran: A view from a source area". World Archaeology. 5 (2): 133–48. doi:10.1080/00438243.1973.9979561. ISSN 0043-8243.
2. Turquoise, Mindat.org, retrieved 2022-04-24
3. "Turquoise" (PDF). RRUFF Project, Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
4. Maerz and Paul (1930). A Dictionary of Color. New York: McGraw-Hill. p. 206; Color Sample of Turquoise [green]: Page 73, Plate 25, Color Sample I5.
5. Petersen, Andrew (21 June 1999). Dictionary of Islamic Architecture (1st ed.). Routledge. p. 121. ISBN 978-0415213325.
6. Said, Farida M. (20 November 2012). "Tradition of the tile". Archived from the original on 3 June 2013.
7. Maerz; Paul (1930). "Color Sample of Cyan: I". A Dictionary of Color. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. page 73, plate 25, sample K12. — 'Turquoise blue' is shown lying very close to Turquoise, but very slightly more bluish.