Persian Turquoise is the most highly-coveted and valuable in the world. For several years, the founder of Top Turquoise, Shahriyar Zamansani, along with his wife, Farideh Mihan, have been offering stunning, precious Persian turquoise and jewelry designs inspired by its beauty to the JA New York community. The duo’s passion for the ornamental blue stone extends to their excitement surrounding educating the industry on the nuances of the quality, superiority and value of Persian turquoise.
Turquoise procured from mines in Iran has long been lauded as the finest. There are only a handful of countries in the world that have turquoise mines, among them are America, Australia, China, Egypt, Persia (Iran) and Mexico. Persian turquoise is sky blue, light blue, green and greenish blue, and mining of turquoise in Persia (Iran) is a tradition that dates back over 2,000 years. It also figures prominently in the Old Testament as an integral part of Persian history, fashion and art.
Farideh’s father, Assadollah Mihan, worked in the turquoise business in Iran for over five decades. His company was first established in 1963 in Mashhad in the state of Khorasan in the North East of Iran, a place considered the “City of Turquoise.” Upon marrying Farideh, his wife’s deeply-seated interest in turquoise, coupled with his Father-in-Law’s knowledge and expertise, inspired Shahriyar to enter the trade.
Jewelry designs created by Farideh highlight the beauty of this exquisite gemstone and is displayed prominently alongside the company’s rough and loose gemstone offerings. A graduate in Persian Literature from The University of Isfahan, Farideh began her career in home design, wedding planning and the creation of highly unique hand-crafted items. In 2000, she won her first award for Creative Art Design from the Design & Art Association of Iran before continuing her career in the United Arab Emirates. Alongside her husband, the two are able to realize their dream of expanding the delivery of Person Turquoise to the international market, and in the process educate attendees to JA New York events on the importance of this valuable gem.
