1910–1911
Britannica 11th
Encyclopaedia Britannica · 11th edition
TURQUOISE, a mineral much used as an ornamental stone for the sake of its blue or bluish-green colour. It is generally held that the name indicates its source as a stone from Turkey, the finest kinds having come from Persia by way of Turkey, whence it was called by the Venetians who imported it turchesa, and by the French turquoise. The old form turkis, used by Tennyson, agrees with the German Turkis. Some authorities have suggested that the word may be a corruption of the Persian name of the stone piruzeh. Turquoi…
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- Vol. 27, pp. 482-482