Pronounced hoo-bay (rhyming with "who" and "bay")

Concentrated primarily in Zhushan County and Yunyang District (Shiyan City) within Hubei Province of Central China.

Artifacts containing turquoise inlay appear in China as early as the Erlitou culture (~1700 BC) and the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BC). Ancient craftsmen used the stone for intricate carvings, amulets, and burial items. It symbolized protection, high social status, power, and a connection between heaven and earth.

Commercial extraction surged in the 1980s. Hubei Province grew into the single largest volume producer of turquoise in the world.