| Have you been shopping for turquoise recently and | | | | the breaking of the stone will be not be smooth, rather |
| been confused on how to tell the difference between | | | | it'll have a texture to it. To spot real turquoise you |
| fake turquoise and real turquoise? Price may give you | | | | should note that when a piece of turquoise is broken |
| a clue but it doesn't always guarantee what you're | | | | and you look at the interior surface the color is |
| buying. If the price is low you can be pretty sure that | | | | consistent, the surface is bumpy, the grain doesn't |
| it's fake, but if the price is high you can't always be | | | | originate from the surface (but it is close to the |
| sure that it's real. There are sellers of turquoise who | | | | surface in this stone sample it due to its random nature |
| either don't know that they don't have real turquoise, or | | | | of distribution) and that the hole in the center isn't ringed |
| they are misleading you in order to make a very large | | | | with a darker color. |
| profit. This article will help you to determine the | | | | Fake Turquoise is often called Dyed Turquoise and |
| difference between fake (imitation) and real turquoise. | | | | can actually look very much like real turquoise; |
| Let's first discuss real turquoise. Real turquoise is | | | | however, it's not a 'real' turquoise and you shouldn't |
| known as Natural Turquoise. Most Natural Turquoise is | | | | pay real turquoise prices. Most dyed turquoise is made |
| quite porous and soft which leaves it vulnerable to | | | | from stones which are similar to turquoise and have |
| staining and changes in its color. There are some | | | | been dyed to look like natural turquoise. Typical stones |
| instances where the Natural Turquoise is quite hard, | | | | used for this are howlite and magnesite. Dyed |
| but this variation is rare and difficult to find and quite | | | | turquoise can also be created from reconstituted |
| expensive. In order to make the bulk of Natural | | | | turquoise which is ground into a powder then |
| Turquoise more durable and suitable for jewelry use it | | | | re-formed using an epoxy resin with coloring. Whether |
| is treated in a process which stabilizes it. Stabilization | | | | it's made from reconstituted turquoise or another |
| ensures that the stone is both durable and retains its | | | | material dyed turquoise has its place in the turquoise |
| original color. | | | | market as it offers a low cost alternative to natural |
| Stabilization is achieved by treating the turquoise with a | | | | turquoise which can look nearly identical to natural |
| clear resin to both seal and harden it. Stabilization does | | | | turquoise. |
| not include applying any dyes or coloring to the | | | | Looking at a cross section of a broken piece of dyed |
| turquoise, rather it ensures that the stone retains its | | | | turquoise you would easily see the difference |
| natural color. If any dyes or coloring is added to | | | | between dyed turquoise and natural turquoise. You |
| turquoise it is no longer a Natural Stabilized Turquoise, | | | | would notice a brown grain on the cross section which |
| rather it becomes an imitation product called Dyed | | | | originates from the surface of the bead and only |
| Turquoise. | | | | penetrates a small distance into the stone. Also you |
| Turquoise is usually found in nature intermixed with | | | | would see that the dark dye used to create the grain |
| other stones which shows up as grain in the turquoise. | | | | has colored the hole in its center - the inside of the |
| Higher grade turquoise is more pure and includes very | | | | hole itself would have the color of the dark dye. |
| little, if any, grain. The grain in Natural Turquoise is both | | | | The outside finished surface of a typical fake turquoise |
| uneven and randomly distributed. It may show up as | | | | bead would show a spider web pattern with the grain |
| large areas of darker color (brown or black) or as | | | | in a consistent width. This narrow graining is an easy |
| more of a spider web formation. The strings in the | | | | way to quickly identify dyed turquoise because in |
| spider web should be random in their thickness and | | | | nature the grain in turquoise is caused by the inclusion |
| shouldn't look like uniformly thin strings - Nature is | | | | of other stones - the dark inclusions wouldn't be |
| random in its creations. Also, if you break open a piece | | | | spread in a thin uniform spider web manner. Another |
| of Natural Turquoise you should see that the color is | | | | thing to notice is if the blue dye is slightly lighter in the |
| consistent throughout, if it's lighter in the center then it | | | | center of the stone; this would be because the dye |
| has been dyed. Looking at the inside structure you | | | | didn't soak all the way through the bead. |
| should see that the grain is random within the stone, | | | | Dyed turquoise has its place in the turquoise market. It |
| dyed products will show the grain only near the | | | | provides a low cost alternative to natural turquoise yet |
| surface of the stone and the hole in the center of the | | | | can look very much like the real stone. Just be sure |
| bead as these areas are where the dye for the grain | | | | that if you're getting dyed turquoise that you're paying |
| enters the stone. | | | | a much cheaper price than natural turquoise. |
| You will also notice that the surface area exposed by | | | | |