Among the many brilliant gems, turquoise is loved for its unique blue color. Turquoise is a typical gem for fashion jewelry and a carrier of cultural inheritance. Today, let’s uncover the mystery of turquoise and discover its charm.
What is turquoise?
Turquoise is a gemstone that often appears clear and deep blue-green. Its name comes from its unique color, like the green of a pine leaf, and it glows in the sun. Turquoise is often used in jewelry and decorative items because its beauty and stability make it one of the gems people love.
Turquoise is a hydrous copper aluminophosphate mineral（CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8·4H2O）. Due to its copper content, this mineral shows various colors, from sky blue to light green. High temperatures and pressures form turquoise deep in the Earth’s crust. This special formation process gives turquoise its unique color and texture, making it one of the most sought-after gemstones in the jewelry world.
What are the varieties of turquoise?
Ulan Flower Turquoise: This one has a deep blue color, almost with a hint of dark blue, and the natural pattern is evenly distributed and beautiful.
Rapeseed Yellow Turquoise: The color is bright and cheerful, similar to rapeseed flowers, bringing a relaxed, happy feeling. Just make sure to distinguish it from blue-yellow or military green stones.
High Porcelain Blue Turquoise: This stone has a rich blue color, a very smooth texture, and a high density.
Water Ripple Turquoise: Naturally, this turquoise forms patterns that resemble water waves, and the colors of the patterns contrast with the main turquoise color.
Water Grass Grain Turquoise: The iron wire in this stone twists and turns, creating a texture that looks like flowing water grass—it’s really striking.
Tang Three-Color Turquoise: This variety contains at least three different colors, usually yellow, blue, brown, or white, spread out in a scattered pattern.
Web Turquoise: This has a spiderweb-like pattern, with the web evenly spread across the surface, giving it a lovely, refined look.
What are the primary colors of turquoise?
Blue turquoise
Blue turquoise is the most familiar color. Blue turquoise is generally considered the most desirable color, and its saturation and uniformity determine its grade and appearance. The charm of blue turquoise lies in its deep and mysterious feeling, as if it can lead us into a quiet and vast world.
Green turquoise
Green turquoise will also show a richer color. From light grass green to forest green, green turquoise gives people the first impression of vitality. This color can awaken the vitality and hope in our hearts so that people feel the beauty of life. The value of green turquoise lies in its bright colors and unique textures, which remind people of the magnificence and richness of nature.
Teal turquoise
Teal turquoise is between blue and green, combining the characteristics of both. Teal turquoise usually presents a unique hue that combines the serenity and mystery of blue with the vigor and vitality of green. The color is reminiscent of the boundary between sea and land, where endless possibilities and wonders abound. The charm of teal turquoise lies in its harmonious and balanced beauty, which makes people feel the diversity and richness of life.
How to choose good quality turquoise?
Turquoise is a favorite gem; its quality directly affects its value and aesthetic degree. Judging the quality of turquoise can be a challenge. We will introduce some ways to judge the quality of turquoise to help you make the right choice when buying.
Observe color
The color of turquoise is one of the key factors in judging its quality. High-quality turquoise should appear as a deep, vibrant, even green color with no noticeable variegation or ribbon. Turquoise that is too light or too dark in color and uneven in tone is often of poor quality.
Observable transparency
High-quality turquoise usually has good transparency, allowing the interior texture and color to be seen through the light. If the turquoise has noticeable turbidity, it may be poor quality.
Observe the texture
Observing turquoise’s texture is also a meaningful way to judge its quality. High-quality turquoise has a clear, uniform texture with no visible cracks, bubbles, or other blemish. The poor quality of turquoise often needs a clear texture and may even have flaws such as cracks or bubbles.
Pay attention to the place of origin
The origin of turquoise also affects its quality and value. For example, turquoise produced in the US states of Arizona and New Mexico is considered the best quality, while turquoise produced in other regions may be of good or bad quality. Therefore, pay attention to the origin of turquoise when purchasing.
Comparative price
The price of authentic, high-quality turquoise is relatively high. If turquoise prices are lower than others, there may be an authenticity problem. Therefore, the cost of too cheap turquoise is often suspicious, and there may be inferior imitations or finished products.
Inspection certificate
Suppose the turquoise purchased is accompanied by a certificate issued by an authority, such as the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). In that case, the quality and authenticity can be more assured.
How is turquoise fake?
Dye
A common form of counterfeiting is to enhance the color of turquoise by dyeing it. Dyed turquoise is often used before or during processing to change its color and make it look more vibrant or darker. This method can mask the actual quality of the raw stone to obtain a higher selling price.
Coating chemical
Another common way to fake turquoise is to change its appearance by coating it. Fake turquoise is usually coated with a chemical or resin similar to turquoise’s color to make it look more vibrant or transparent. This method may lose effectiveness after a while, revealing the actual quality of the raw stone.
Synthetic turquoise
Some dishonest merchants may sell synthetic turquoise, a synthetic gemstone that usually lacks the precious qualities of natural turquoise. Synthetic turquoise may be very similar to natural stone. However, it often shows subtle differences, such as internal texture or bubbles.
Magnesite imitates turquoise
Magnesite imitates turquoise, an entirely fake product because it contains no ingredients. Pale magnesite is usually made by dyeing.
How do you distinguish the genuine turquoise from the false?
Alcohol soak
Soak turquoise in alcohol for 20 minutes to see if any pigment dissolves. Raw turquoise will not fade, while dyed magnesite turquoise will expose its actual color.
Gloss check
The color of raw turquoise is proportional to the degree of porcelain, and the darker the color, the higher the gloss. Although dyed magnesite is dark in color, it has a darker gloss.
Texture check
The genuine turquoise texture feels rough and differs from the surrounding smooth surface; The dyed turquoise texture floats on the surface and is too uniform.
Check color
View the color of turquoise; turquoise color is generally blue, light blue, blue-green, green, yellow-green, light color because it is naturally formed, so the color is usually distributed is not exceptionally uniform, and generally has texture, no defects of turquoise is rare, the price is also costly. Some businesses often use turquoise dyeing so that the turquoise color looks very uniform; we can use a cloth dipped in ammonia to wipe the turquoise if the color is false turquoise.
Fire test
Genuine turquoise will turn black after the fire; this is normal. It will not leave any traces, even if there is a little yellow and black. After cleaning with cold water, it will have no traces. The most apparent fake glue turquoise is when the flame contacts the turquoise surface. There will be a pronounced flame increase and bluing phenomenon, and it will emit an unpleasant, irritating smell.
Where is the primary source of turquoise?
Turquoise, a precious gemstone, is produced in many parts of the world. Shiyan, Hubei Province, China, is the most famous, accounting for 70% of the world’s reserves. The following are the world’s primary turquoise sources:
Turquoise in Shiyan, Hubei, China
Known as the hometown of Eastern Turquoise, Shiyan, Hubei Province, China, is the largest turquoise-producing area in the world and is known for its rich reserves and high-quality turquoise. In Shiyan, Hubei Province, China, turquoise has a high output and rich variety.
Iranian Persian turquoise
Iranian Persian turquoise has a long history and is an essential source of high-quality turquoise in the world, especially in the geological structure of Iran. It found a lot of turquoise, mining depth, and high quality.
American turquoise
Arizona: A major producer of turquoise in the United States, especially the Sleeping Beauty and Kingman mines, known for their distinctive blue color and high quality.
Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico also produce significant amounts of turquoise. Nevada’s turquoise is known for its hardness, density, and various colors.
Sinai turquoise, Egypt
Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula has an ancient turquoise mine with a mining history dating back to 5500 BC. Although the mine’s production is small, it has significant historical value.
Turkish turquoise
Turkey is also an essential source of turquoise, especially in the Eskisehir region.
Other origin turquoise
Russia, Chile, Australia, Peru, South Africa, India, Pakistan, and Kashmir: Turquoise is also produced in these regions. However, its production and popularity may be better than in several other major producing areas.
Each origin of turquoise has its unique color and texture, making it highly collectible and ornamental in the global gemstone market. Due to limited resources and environmental protection, many famous mine openings have been nearly exhausted or restricted mining, further increasing the rarity and value of high-quality turquoise.
What should I pay attention to when wearing turquoise jewelry?
Avoid exposure to chemicals
Turquoise is sensitive to chemicals, so avoid exposure to cosmetics, perfumes, detergents, etc. These chemicals may have a corrosive effect on turquoise, causing its surface to become discolored or tarnished.
Avoid collision with complex objects
Turquoise is relatively soft and vulnerable to collisions and scratches from complex objects. Therefore, avoid contact with hard objects to prevent damage when wearing or storing turquoise.
Regular cleaning
Regular cleaning is a critical step in maintaining turquoise. Using mild, soapy water or gem cleaner, gently wipe the turquoise clean and rinse with clean water. During the cleaning process, the surface of the turquoise can be gently wiped with a soft brush to remove dirt and impurities.
Avoid heat and bright light
Turquoise is sensitive to high temperatures and intense light, so you should avoid long-term exposure to sunlight or high-temperature environments when wearing or storing turquoise. Excessive temperature may cause the color of turquoise to become lighter or fade, affecting its beauty and value.
How to clean turquoise jewelry?
Turquoise is chemically unstable, so do not use any solution that will change its chemical properties; clean it. Clean water is the best choice. Although turquoise will absorb water and change color, this does not affect its appearance or internal structure. However, be aware that it cannot be cleaned with hot water; turquoise is sensitive to heat.
After cleaning, water absorbs too much water, and turquoise is not easy to dry; we can not put it in the sun, so we can place turquoise in the air vent to dry or wipe it with a clean, soft cloth. The wiping force should not be too large; otherwise, it will damage its surface.
What about the price of turquoise?
The price of turquoise varies significantly due to factors such as quality, porcelain degree, color, size, whether there is texture, carving, and so on. Below are some general price ranges, but please note that these prices may vary depending on market fluctuations, supply and demand, and specific differences in quality:
Collection-grade turquoise (FH):This turquoise is a rare, high-porcelain, high-blue jade chemical material. It costs between $300 and $500 per gram.
Fine turquoise (H+):This turquoise with excellent color and texture, is priced between $200 and $300 per gram.
Good-grade turquoise (H): The market circulation of turquoise is better than others, and the price is between $40 and $80 per gram.
Entry-level turquoise (H-): This turquoise looks light in color and has poor gloss, and the price is less than $20 per gram.
What is the symbolic meaning of turquoise?
Turquoise’s cultural significance is also an essential embodiment of its value. In different cultures, turquoise has been given various meanings and symbols.
In ancient Egypt, it was considered a sacred stone to make amulets and ornaments. In Indian culture, it represents the sky and water and is widely used in religious ceremonies and ornaments.
In Indian culture, it represents the sky and water and is widely used in religious ceremonies and ornaments.
In traditional Chinese culture, turquoise symbolizes auspice and peace and is believed to bring good luck.
In the fashion world, turquoise also has a value that cannot be ignored. Its blue-green tone has a fresh sense of nature and a noble and elegant temperament. In jewelry and clothing accessories, applying turquoise can show a unique charm. Many internationally renowned fashion brands have launched turquoise products, making it the fashion industry’s darling.
