Turquoise is a very popular stone, probably because of its intense color. There are many people out there who are Turquoise experts, and I am not one of them. Many of these aficionados can distinguish where a particular piece of material originates. This page will provide more general information than that.

Most Turquoise ranges in color from robin's egg blue to a deep green. Many people place a higher value on the bluer pieces, although I personally really like some of the greens. It is thought that the name's origin comes from Europeans who thought traders bringing it in were obtaining it in Turkey, although there is actually no significant source of Turquoise there. Iran or the Sinai Peninsula were the probable sources. It has been used as an ornamental stone for thousands of years, notably by the ancient Egyptians, Persians, and Cultures in North and South America. Certain tribes of Native Americans have become known for their beautiful combinations of Sterling Silver, Turquoise, and sometimes other stone jewelry, and many people prize these pieces above all others.

A common question I am asked is: is this Turquoise real? The answer is often hard to give because much of the material on the market has been enhanced in some manner, not to mention the large number of simulants out there. In the 1970's, Turquoise was very popular, particularly set in Southwestern styled jewelry, and demand for the stone was high. Because of this, cheap alternatives started showing up. One of the more common simulants is dyed Howlite. Howlite looks a lot like Turquoise because it has a dark veiny matrix sometimes, but the stone itself is white. You can see an example dyed Howlite at the bottom of this page. Even though my photography skills are horrendous, you should be able to see that the color of the stone is a bit on the unnatural side, and when broken in half, the inside gradually tapers to a whitish color with a dark blue at the surface of the stone. Most times these are easy to distinguish because the color just looks a little fake.

Another issue with Turquoise is stabilization and treatments. Some turquoise is too crumbly to hold together during cutting or wear. Often the material has great color, so it is stabilized by impregnating the stone with epoxy resin. Older Turquoise was sometimes treated with wax or oils to give it more of a sheen. Recently, some turquoise is being dyed to enhance its color, or even to produce unusual colors never found in nature (see the picture below).

A stone that is chemically similar and is sometimes confused with Turquoise is Variscite. Both are Copper minerals. Variscite tends to be very green, but also has an attractive matrix.

Different locales produce slightly different looking Turquoise. Some mines are know for distinctive matrix patterns, while others are known for particular shades or matrix-free material. Some famous mines I know of are the Kingman Mine and the Sleeping Beauty Mine, both in Arizona, Cripple Creek in Colorado (not a huge source, but I live here), and the Fox in Nevada (Nevada produces a lot of Turquoise). One of the largest modern producers of Turquoise these days is China. There are mines in the Zhushan and the Yunxian Provinces. Much of the material coming out of China has been color enhanced or had the matrix darkened. Some has also been stabilized. There are however some really interesting colors from China that appear to be natural as well. Note the rectangular stones above.

Turquoise should be treated gently, especially when cleaning. It can be damaged by harsh solvents, and enhanced, reconstituted, or stabilized material may be destroyed by chemicals. Some Turquoise has been known to fade in color over time as well, particularly when exposed to intense sunlight for extended periods.

Turquoise, being on the soft side cuts easily, and produces nice cabs.

More information and pictures of uncut Turquoise can be found at Wikipedia.