Turquoise has been cherished and coveted for thousands of years and continues to be valued for its beauty, history, and cultural significance. As a jewelry designer, I am often asked about this captivating gemstone that seems to be timeless in its popularity.
In this installment of my Frequently Asked Questions series, I'd like to give you the information you need to know so you can be an educated consumer of this unique gemstone!
History & Significance
Turquoise is one of the oldest known gemstones to be used in jewelry. In fact, there are turquoise jewelry pieces in an Egyptian museum that date back over 7500 years ago!
An example of ancient turquoise jewelry from The Egyptian Museum of Cairo
Turquoise has been used in trade, for ceremonial purposes as well as to adorn and enhance art and the body through jewelry.
Gemstone Properties & Specs
On the Mohs Hardness Scale, turquoise is 5-6 which indicates Medium hardness. It is quite porous, which means that it can absorb substances like oils, cosmetics, household cleaners, and perspiration. Caution should be taken to protect turquoise from these substances as it is possible that contact with them could alter the color of the stone.
Turquoise comes in a beautiful array of blues and greens, depending upon where it was mined and what minerals grew alongside the gemstone.
Mining
Turquoise is only found in a few specific locations in the world. The highest grade of turquoise is found in Northeast Iran. It is also found in Afghanistan, Israel, Mexico, China and the United States, among others. Mining turquoise is quite a labor-intensive process, often done by hand.
In the US, the states of Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado have produced beautiful, high quality turquoise, many of which have adorned traditionally crafted Native American jewelry.
Unfortunately, government restrictions on mining in the US have led to higher costs of permits and equipment for mining. This, coupled with cheaper and lower quality stones coming from China have led to the closing of some US turquoise mines.
All of these factors have made high quality turquoise more scarce and more valuable.
Dyed or Reconstituted "Turquoise"
With more and more turquoise mines closing and a proliferation of lower quality and downright fake turquoise stones on the market, authentic turquoise is becoming more rare than ever.
Other stones such as howlite, magnesite and even plastic or resin are often dyed and sold as turquoise. Howlite and magnesite gemstones can be quite beautiful in their natural state (like the
Shania Wild Horse Magnesite Necklace), but should not be labeled as turquoise. Dyed plastic and resin are often used in costume jewelry.
Reconstitution is when low-quality turquoise is ground into a powder and mixed with epoxy and dye. This mixture is then formed into beads or cabochons (stones with flat backs that can be set into a bezel). This mostly-epoxy stone can not even be considered a turquoise gemstone at the end of the manufacturing process.
All LJ Artisan Designs gemstones are purchased from reputable dealers and gemstone cutters to ensure that your turquoise jewelry is authentic and beautiful!
Check out this and other LJ Artisan Designs turquoise jewelry...
I created a Jewelry Care Guide to help you keep your LJ Artisan Designs jewelry looking great! Click below to get your Jewelry Care Guide...Check out these beautiful gemstone creations and more on the website...
All My Best,
Leah
