Stunning in its hue and gorgeous to wear, turquoise is one of the oldest semi-precious stones. Historically, turquoise was considered a stone of life and good fortune and had healing properties. The color of turquoise can vary from deep blue to deep green with every variation in between and is found in Iran, the US, Sinai, China, Afghanistan, Australia, Chile, Saxony, Cornwall and Turkestan.
Choosing turquoise…
When choosing turquoise you will encounter 4 different in the jewellery market: Natural (comes directly from the mine. It is cut shaped and polished and set into jewellery); Stabilized (natural turquoise usually in nugget form that is submerged into a stabilizing compound. The pores of the stone have been filled with a clear resin that makes the stone usable); Treated (color enhanced); and Fake (ceramics, bone, celluloid and plastic are used to imitate turquoise).
It is becoming increasingly difficult to spot real from fake turquoise so it’s best to ask the seller a lot of questions to ensure the real deal. If you have any secret tips in how to spot the real please leave a comment below.
Caring for you turquoise…
Being a phosphate mineral, turquoise is inherently fragile and sensitive to solvents including perfume, sunscreen and hairspray as well as commercial cleaning fluids. Long exposure to sunlight will also discolour your turquoise After wearing, gently clean your turquoise with a soft cloth to avoid a build up of residue, and should be stored in its own container to avoid scratching by harder gems.
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