“A powerful saint touching the bow and arrow of a blacksmith transforms the bow into gold and the arrow into turquoise.” The bow represents the solar rays and the arrow the Heavens, hence it is little wonder that the turquoise was termed the “gem of the Gods.” The turquoise was also recommended for diseases of the throat and heart—as phosphoric acid is today in Homœopathy. In harmony with an ancient astro-philosophy known as “Planetary Interchanges,” the turquoise was considered an ideal lovers’ gift—unless the stone was otherwise than fortunate in the horoscope of the recipient—and a gift of friendship. [Illustration: Specimen of Rough Turquoise, Victoria, Australia] The changes of colour in a turquoise have been long noted, and the lines of the poet Donne are frequently quoted: “_As a compassionate turquoise that doth tell By looking pale the wearer is not well._” Boetius tells a story of a wonderful turquoise possessed by a Spanish gentleman which so lost its colour after his death that it appeared “more like a malachite than a turkois.” Boetius then says that his father bought it for very little at the sale of the Spaniard’s effects and gave it to him. He relates that he had hardly worn it for a month when “it resumed its pristine beauty and daily appeared to increase in splendour.” Mr. Harry Emanuel gives a somewhat similar story concerning a turquoise that lost its lustre with the death of its owner “as if mourning for its master,” regaining it in its “former exquisite freshness” when worn by its new owner. A case of this kind came under the writer’s notice: The wife of a well-known pastoralist of New South Wales had a bangle of turquoises cut into the shape of Egyptian scarabs. While travelling in Japan she became ill and the stones changed from a soft blue to a dull green, regaining their former beauty when the lady regained her health. One of the oldest firms of jewellers in the city of Melbourne, Australia, was worried to find that an exquisite Persian turquoise entrusted to them to mount in a tiara with diamonds was changing colour whilst in the hands of their chief “setter.” This craftsman had been complaining for some days of indisposition. Strangely enough, the gem regained its beautiful colour on being entrusted to another and healthier workman. The connection of the turquoise with weather changes is not confined merely to Oriental peoples. The Pueblo and Apache Indians employ it as a rainstone, which they say is always found concealed at the foot of the rainbow. They place pieces of turquoise on their bows and fire arms as directing charms for trueness of aim.