Know Your Turquoise
Turquoise, one of the world’s most ancient gems, was mined in the Sinai desert by the Egyptians many thousands of years ago.
It was a highly prized stone worn by the Pharaohs, the wealthy, and the elite. The world-renowned burial mask of Tutankhamun, discovered over 100 years ago, is inlaid with this beautiful gemstone along with lapis lazuli, quartz, carnelian and obsidian.
It was a ceremonial gem to the Native Americans, and also revered in Persia, China and Tibet for thousands of years.
But what of turquoise today?
It is a soft and porous stone in colours of sky blue to blue green, and can be with or without a matrix. The most desired colour is ‘Robin’s egg blue’ or ‘Sky Blue’, and the original source for this beautiful colour of turquoise is Iran.
This colour is sometimes referred to as ‘Persian Blue’, whether or not it has been mined in Iran.
The matrix is the remaining host rock found within the turquoise. It can appear in different dark patterns such as a web, veins, or patches. Stones with no matrix at all command the highest prices.
The turquoise in the image to the right, and in the main image, is Persian turquoise which has come from Iran.
So, Which Turquoise To Choose?
Turquoise, generally speaking, is either imitation, reconstituted, stabilised, or natural (gem quality).
Imitation turquoise is a stone like magnesite or howlite, which has been dyed to look like turquoise… therefore, it’s not turquoise at all!
Reconstituted turquoise is the cheapest form of the stone. It is basically turquoise chalk which is crushed into powder, mixed with plastics, resins, and dye to make it look like the actual gemstone.
Stabilised turquoise undergoes a treatment process where the stone is filled, under pressure, with epoxy or resin. This strengthens the stone and can enhance the colour, enabling the turquoise to be cut and used in jewellery. Much of the turquoise on the market has been stabilised.
Natural turquoise is a valuable, expensive form of the stone in its purest form. It is hard enough to be cut without any treatment at all. Depending where you read, there is only 3% – 5% of natural turquoise on the market today.
So, as with anything, if you find some natural turquoise at a price which seems too good to be true, it probably is.