Soul turquoise. A piece of turquoise that is worn as a representation, container, or residence of one’s soul (bla). A bla g.yu is often put around someone’s neck by the officiant of a bla g.yu ritual, a ritual designed to retrieve someone’s bla if it has departed from them. Changes in the condition or color of a bla g.yu are thought to be representative of the condition of the bla. bla g.yu also play a role in some Tibetan marriage ceremonies, where the woman offers turquoise to the man, and the man offers the woman a piece of gold (bla gser).

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